Gold earring with pearl pendant
Unknown Artist
1st‒2nd century CE
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Other: 9/16 x 1/4 x 15/16 in. (1.5 x 0.6 x 2.4 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Culture & Period
Roman · Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.3793
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold earring with pearl pendant, crafted in the Roman Imperial period (1st2nd century CE), the opulence of elite Roman jewelry. Dating to the height of the Empire, when Rome's wealth and trade networks spanned the Mediterranean, such earrings were status symbols for wealthy women. Pearls, rare and exotic imports from the Red Sea or Indian Ocean, added immense value, underscoring the wearer's affluence and connection to distant luxury goods. Masterfully worked in gold—a medium prized for its malleability and luster—the earring measures a modest 9/16 x 1/4 x 15/16 inches (1.5 x 0....