Double Scroll Fertility Earring
Unknown Artist
8th–12th century
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
H. 15/16 in. (2.4 cm)
Classification
Jewelry
Culture
Indonesia (Central Java)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Eilenberg-Rosen Partnership, 2001
Accession Number
2001.794.181
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Double Scroll Fertility Earring crafted from gleaming gold in Central Java, Indonesia, dates to the 8th–12th century—a golden era of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms the Sailendras and Matarams. Measuring just 15/16 inch (2.4 cm) high, this tiny jewel exemplifies the exquisite metalworking skills of ancient Javanese artisans, who transformed precious gold into intricate adornments worn by elites. The double scroll motif, evoking swirling vines or serpentine forms, likely symbolized fertility and abundance, central themes in Southeast Asian cosmology tied to rice agriculture and divine p...