Gold earring with rosette disk
Unknown Artist
3rd century CE
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Other: 5/8 × 1/4 × 3/4 in. (1.6 × 0.6 × 1.9 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Culture & Period
Roman · Late 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
74.51.3992
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold earring, featuring rosette disk, hails from the Late Imperial Roman period in the 3rd century. Crafted during an era of imperial expansion and cultural blending across the Roman Empire, such jewelry exemplified the elite's love for intricate personal adornments. The rosette motif—a blooming floral design symbolizing beauty, renewal, and perhaps divine favor— was a popular decorative element in Roman art, echoing motifs from earlier Greek influences and appearing on everything from mosaics to coins. Hammered and likely soldered from pure gold, the earring's petite dimensions...