The Lampsacus Treasure or Lapseki Treasure is the name of an important early
Byzantine silver hoard found near the town of
Lapseki (ancient
Lampsacus) in modern-day Turkey. Most of the hoard is now in the
British Museum's collection, although a few items can be found in museums in
Paris and
Istanbul too.[1]
Discovery
The Lampsacus Treasure was accidentally found in 1847 by farmers digging in a field near the village of Lapseki (ancient
Lampsacus) in north-west Turkey. Dating to 6th and 7th centuries AD, the hoard of largely silver objects provides a significant catalogue of design and fashion from the early
Byzantine period. Soon after its discovery, the bulk of the treasure came into the possession of
Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, Earl of Cowley, who donated it to the
British Museum in 1848. Two other institutions also have objects from the treasure: the
Istanbul Archaeological Museum possess two bowls; the
Louvre a further two spoons.
Description of the treasure
The
hoard includes a wide range of
ecclesiastical objects that may have originally belonged to a church or a wealthy individual connected with the church. It includes a silver tripod lamp-stand with five imperial control stamps that date from the reign of
Justinian I (527–65AD). In the British Museum there are also twelve pear-shaped spoons, six of which bear inscriptions and verse in Greek and/or Latin, a (slightly damaged) silver
chalice, two silver dishes with
nielloedmonograms in the centre, an ornate silver polycandelon, part of a folding stool, and various jewellery and furniture/vessel fittings.
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Six spoons from the treasure
Detail of the silver lamp-stand or candelabra.JPG)
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