ear-ring;
bead
- Museum number
- EA65405
- Description
-
Gold ear-ring with falcon-headed terminal: the ear-ring is intact but slightly misshapen. It consists of a hawk head of lapis lazuli secured within gold, ribbed mounts. The bird's head is finely modelled, with particular attention paid to the detailing of the feathers. There are remains of gilding on one of the hawk's head. The hoop is secured within an attachment soldered to this gold mount, and beneath this is a ring decorated with large granules. On the gold ring itself the end closest to the bird has a sleeve of sheet gold attached to prevent a series of beads, consisting of lapis lazuli, red jasper and a gold ring with granulation, from slipping around the hoop.
- Production date
- 2ndC BC-1stC BC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 2.39 centimetres (max)
- Curator's comments
- Earrings of this general form are common throughout the Hellenistic world, but hawk-headed versions seem purely Egyptian. If these earrings were worn with the hawk heads upright, the beaks would have faced the ear lobe.
Pair with 1949,1008.6
Bibliography:
S. Walker & P. Higgs [eds.], 'Cleopatra: Regina d'Egitto' (Milan, 2000), pp.40-41 [I.13] = S. Walker & P. Higgs [eds.], 'Cleopatra of Egypt' (London, 2001), p. 96 [110].
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- fair
- Acquisition date
- 1949
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA65405
- Registration number
- 1949,1008.5
