Earring, crescent-shaped
Unknown Artist
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Other: 11/16 × 13/16 × 1/8 in. (1.8 × 2.1 × 0.4 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.3878
Art Historical Context
This delicate crescent-shaped gold earring measuring just 11/16 × 13/16 × 1/8 inches, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient jewelry from the Greek and Roman world. Crafted from pure gold—a precious metal symbolizing wealth and status in antiquity—it likely adorned the ear of a wealthy individual, perhaps during ceremonial or daily wear. Its small scale highlights the skill of ancient goldsmiths, who hammered and shaped the soft metal into elegant, wearable forms without modern tools. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek Roman Art Department, this piece comes from The ...