Ear Clip in the Shape of a Starfruit
Unknown Artist
Second half of the 8th–second half of the 10th century
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
H. 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Diam. 5/16 in. (0.8 cm)
Classification
Jewelry
Culture & Period
Indonesia (Java) · Central Javanese period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Samuel Eilenberg-Jonathan P. Rosen Collection of Indonesian Gold, Bequest of Samuel Eilenberg and Gift of Jonathan P. Rosen, 1998
Accession Number
1998.544.116
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold ear clip, shaped like a starfruit (ambola), hails from Java, Indonesia, during the Central Javanese periodsecond half of the 8th to half of the 10 century). This era marked the flourishing of powerful Hindu-Buddhist, such as the Sailendra andaram dynasties, renowned for monumental temples like Borobudur Prambanan. Goldsmiths crafted such finery for the elite, reflecting the region's advanced metallurgy and trade networks that supplied precious gold. Remarkably tiny—standing just 0.5 cm high and 0.8 cm in diameter—this piece showcases the precision of ancient Javanese artis...