Gold earrings, Crete, 2500-1600 BC
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Links to other views:⇒ Larger View⇒ Pair if scripting is off, click the ⇒ instead. Links to others of type EarringGold “boat” earring, 1400-1200 BCGold ‘grape’ earrings, Rome, 200 AD |
This is presumably a pair of gold earrings from the island of Crete (2500-1600 BC), in the form of a small bag, adorned with parallel incisions and tiny gold cones. Additional ornamentation, such as pearls of gold, carnelian, or lapis may have hung from the five holes in each bottom plate. Marcadé (1973:44-41, plate 50) suggested that such gold jewels might not have been feminine earrings, but rather equine ornaments. In the notorious “Troy Jewels” 1873 photograph taken by discoverer of Troy, Heinrich Shliemann, his wife Sofia is shown wearing, attached to her dress like brooches, two items with top parts greatly resembling the earrings in our collection, and from which hung long strands of beads. Bibliography (for this item)Black, J. Anderson1981 A History of Jewelry (republication of the 1974 book The story of Jewelry by Orbis Publishing). Park Lane, New York, NY. ( 54-56) Marcadé, Jean 1973 Bijoux. Nagel, Geneva, Swizerland. ( 40-41, plate 50) |
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