Gold earrings with disk and boat-shaped pendant
Unknown Artist
ca. 300 BCE
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Overall (A): 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm) Other (Diameter of disc): 7/8 in. (2.2 cm) Diam.: 3/4 in. (1.9 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Culture & Period
East Greek · Hellenistic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.11.2, .3
Tags
Art Historical Context
These exquisite gold earrings, crafted around 300 BCE by an East Greek artisan during the Hellenistic period, showcase the opulence of ancient jewelry-making. Featuring disk pendants and distinctive boat-shaped drops, they measure about 2⅝ inches overall, with disks roughly ⅞ inch in diameter. Adorned with motifs of Nike—the winged goddess of victory—and horses, symbols of speed, power, and triumph these pieces likely evoked divine favor and elite status for their wearers. Hellenistic art flourished after Alexander the Great's conquests, blending Greek aesthetics with Eastern influences, and ...