Earring

3rd‐2nd century B.C.
Gold
(a)H. 1.4 cm, W. 1.2 cm(b)H. 1.7 cm, W. 1.5 cm
cH. 1.3 cm, W. 1.0 cm(d)H. 2.1 cm, W. 1.2 cm
(e)H. 1.7 cm, W. 1.5 cm(f)H. 3.0 cm, W. 3.0 cm
(g)H. 2.4 cm, W. 1.6 cm(h)H. 2.9 cm, W. 1.1 cm
(i)H. 2.8 cm, W. 1.7 cm(j)H. 2.6 cm, W. 2.4 cm
(k)H. 2.3 cm, W. 1.4 cm(l)H. 2.2 cm, W. 1.4 cm
(m)H. 2.8 cm, W. 1.2 cm(n)H. 2.0 cm, W. 1.4 cm
(o)H. 4.6 cm, W. 2.0 cm(p)H. 2.9 cm, W. 1.9 cm
(q)H. 2.0 cm, W. 1.3 cmRH. 3.6 cm, W. 2.3 cm
(s)H. 1.5 cm, W. 2.2 cm(t)H. 2.6 cm, W. 2.8 cm
(u)H. 1.9 cm, W. 2.0 cm(v)H. 2.5 cm, W. 2.3 cm
(w)H. 2.0 cm, W. 0.9 cm
(a)-(f) These earrings have beads attached to a basic circular form. Earring a has a bead formed from a gold sheet decorated with a groove pattern. Earrings b through e are made from angled twisted wires and have attached beads with granules decoration. Earring f has an abacus bead-shaped bead hammered out of a gold sheet.
(g) Three small balls are attached to the ring, with gold wire wrapped between the balls. A bell-shaped pendant decorated with granulation hangs from the ring.
(h) A triangular panel decorated with granulation hangs from the ring, and three small ball-shaped pendants hang from the panel. This is a simplified version of the design seen at cat. No. 173.
(i) A ring of gold wire has both ends of the wire thinned, and a pendant with fittings for inlaid gem or glass hangs from the wire. The inlaid materials are now lost.
(j), (k) A ring made from a rounded piece of sheet gold. In earring j, 7 grain-shaped pendants hang from the ring, in earring k, there are 3 pendants. One of the pendants on earring j is missing. A fastener is attached to earring k.
(l), (m) Earring l has a bell-shaped pendant covered with 6 flower petals, while earring m has a 4 petaled blossom-shaped pendant. The tip of each petal is decorated with granules. Earring m has a fastener.
(n) A hollow ring has a fastener, with each end of the open ring decorated with granules and the center of the ring decorated with a small ball and a pyramid of granules.
(o), (p) Grain-shaped pendants hang from simple circles. Earring o is attached via a small ball, with granule designs on top and bottom of the pendant.
(q) Each earring has a small ball pendant decorated with pyramids of granules at their bottom edge.
R A small ring has a bird head decorative attachment.
(s-u) These earrings were hammered from sheets of gold and have been formed into a ring with numerous small ball-shaped protrusions. Each earring has a fastener.
(v) The back of a small figure of Eros is attached to the middle of this ring. The small figure has both hands at his hips, wings on his back, and fine dotting forms a grape leaf mesh running from his right shoulder across his chest to his left hip. A shield-shaped decoration is placed above Eros's head. An earring of the same shape has been excavated from a grave in the Uzboy region of Turkmenistan.
(w) This is thought to be an Eros decoration which would have originally been placed on an earring like that seen at 179 v. The sash running from left shoulder to right hip differs from that seen on earring v.

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.

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