Beginning in the fourth century, people in the eastern, Greek-speaking world of early Christianity used pieces of jewelry called enkolpia (singular, enkolpion). Meaning “in (or on) the bosom,” they were a kind of pendant attached to a necklace or string and worn around the neck. Since they typically featured Christian scenes or inscriptions or contained a sacred relic, enkolpia were designed to protect their wearers by means of their religious imagery or contents. Produced in virtually all materials used for jewelry, including gold and wood, enkolpia could take many different forms, from simple disks (medallions) to crosses to various containers. […]
