Earring

Earring

Gold

This penannular gold earring has an oval hoop that is circular to oval in section and tapers towards each pointed terminal. The terminals are aligned, but separated by a small gap. The hoop is made from hollow gold sheet that has been incised, producing fine, transverse oblique grooves except near the terminals where it is smooth. The attached pendant consists of a conical form made from small, round gold beads or grains arranged in five concentric circles with the grains diminishing in size towards the top. One larger, slightly flattened round bead sits at the top, separated from the cone by a thin ring. A decorative rosette pattern made from nine loops of plain gold wire is fromed around its base. A small gold grain sits inside each loop. The beaded cone sits on a small, thisn disc that is attached to the top of the hoop. The hoop is further adorned with spiral-beaded wire: two circles run around the hoop, at either end of the section with the attached pendant; these are connected by three pieces of beaded wire that run along the length of the hoop, one at each side and one on the inner surface of the hoop. The earring is a warm yellow-goldcolour and is in very good condition except for two large cracks in the hoop, one on each side, and two smaller cracks, again one on each side below the larger crack in each case. Egypt was a source of gold in the ancient world and the city of Alexandria was a particularly important centre for the production of gold jewellery in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Function: Worm by a woman on a pierced earlobe (the usual method of wearing earrings in the ancient Greek and Roman world) as an item of personal adornment, but also as a sign of wealth and status. Such a piece of jewellery could also be given as a votive offering or used as bullion.

Roman, from Egypt

Purchased from Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd, London, 1982

100 BC - AD 200

83.013

Purchased from Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd, London, 1982.