Earring

5th‐4th century B.C.
Gold
H. 3.3 cm, W. 2.8 cm
The center of this earring depicts Bes, the Egyptian patron god of women, and the surrounding radiating petal-like forms would have been settings for inlay work. There are six pomegranate-shaped pendants beneath the mask. The depiction of Bes in the Achaemenid period was more common in Persia than in Egypt. This design can also be seen on the front panel decoration of the four-horse chariot (no. 7) and the decorative panel (no. 32) of the Oxus treasure, and is also found on the decorative panel cat. No. 203 a of the Bactrian treasure.

A rich variety of styles can be found in the earring group, and there are many more earrings than those found in the Oxus treasure. These earrings can be basically divided into two groups: simple items and elaborated items. The simple earrings are simply open loops, or those with small fasteners. The other group includes pendants in addition to the fasteners. There are more of the open loop form, and as there is no clear difference in period between the different styles of simple forms with small granules or rings for attaching pendants, it is hard to assign dates to these works. The works with small fittings for inlay or granulation are thought to date from the Hellenistic period. The majority of these earrings are made of silver with gold plating, and they were the work of skilled craftsmen.

Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Pair of Earrings Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring Earring