Ancient Greece, Hellenistic, ca. late 4th to 3rd century BCE. One of the most superb works of luxury art from ancient Greece, a very rare pair of matching 75% gold (equivalent to 18K) earrings, each one comprised of a pan-shaped disk that houses an attractive rosette with petals delineated in plain wire, the upturned edges of the disk trimmed with a beaded border. Suspended from this is a solid-cast figure of Eros, the god of love, depicted with an advanced right leg, separately cast wings, and holding a large torch in both hands across his body. Eros is characteristically nude save the billowing, separately cast mantle strewn across his chest and down either side of his body. All is suspended from a hooked wire on the verso of the floral disk. A beautiful pair of earrings - luxurious tokens of love during ancient times that still resonate with us - making our hearts sing today! Size of each: 1.125" H (2.9 cm); 1.625" H (4.1 cm) including hooked wires; quality of gold: 75% (equivalent to 18K); total weight: 4.2 grams
A similar pair of Greek gold earrings presenting Eros below a disk form sold for $25,000 at Christie's, New York "Ancient Jewelry" auction (sale 2375, December 9, 2010, lot 359)
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 30.116.1.2
Cf. no. 1888 in Marshall, Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum.
This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired 2013; ex-Christie's, New York "Ancient Jewelry" auction (sale 2771, December 13, 2013, lot 251); ex-Joseph G. Gerena Fine Art, New York, USA, 1999
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#166747
Condition
Earrings are remarkably well-preserved save slight wear commensurate with age. It is possible that a pearl or stone was once set within the center of each flower. Ear wires are still somewhat flexible.