Sabyasachi channels Byzantine splendour through The Met collaboration

A circular pendant in 18-karat and 22-karat gold hangs from a substantial chain, its face engraved with the image of a woman mounted upon a winged beast, surrounded by a border of faceted stones in tones of burgundy, emerald green and slate. The design draws from an eighth century Iranian plate in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, a fragment of history that Sabyasachi has transformed into a wearable heirloom.

The pendant is set with faceted tourmalines and cabochons of tourmaline, garnet, onyx, jade and turquoise, each stone positioned with the precision that characterizes the house’s approach to jewellery making. The central motif, that mythical creature bearing its rider, speaks to the cultural and artistic exchange that defined the Byzantine Empire, a period when trade routes carried not merely goods but the visual language of civilisation itself.

This collaboration between Sabyasachi and The Met moves beyond mere inspiration. It represents a lineage drawn through five thousand years of art and design, each commission a bridge between the museum’s archives and the present moment. The necklace belongs to neither pure antiquity nor contemporary fashion alone, but occupies that rare territory where historical scholarship meets the hands of contemporary craftspeople, where scholarship becomes wearable form.

The collection is available through Sabyasachi boutiques and select retailers worldwide.

Imagery courtesy of Sabyasachi (@sabyasachiofficial).