Ancient Greece, late Hellenistic Period, ca. 1st century BCE. A beautiful earring of annular form with an ear wire and sheet-foil figure shaped from 83.8% gold (equivalent to 20K+). Glinting with lustrous golden yellow hues, the front of the accessory presents a figure of Eros, the winged god of love, with his chest protruding and legs swept back as if in mid-flight. Eros holds both sinuous arms back to his waist so as to stabilize his body in the air, and gold granules line his body while a thin vine creeps over his left shoulder. His visage presents with almond-shaped eyes, full cheeks and lips, and a centrally parted, shoulder-length coiffure that imbues him with a youthful presentation. The tip of the ear wire rests within a circular pin clasp to not poke the wearer when being worn. A fabulous example of opulent jewelry from Hellenistic Greece! Size: 1" L x 0.28" W x 0.94" H (2.5 cm x 0.7 cm x 2.4 cm); gold quality: 83.8% (equivalent to 20K+); total weight: 2 grams
Cf. an example with a twisted ear wire at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 74.51.3504
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#142751
Condition
Proper right arm reattached at shoulder, with restoration to proper left arm, and losses to wings as shown. Loss to stone inlay in serrated bezel above figure's head. Ear wire reattached at top just above serrated bezel, with break line visible on verso. Slight bending to figure, ear wire, and pin catch, with light encrustations in some recessed areas, and softening to some finer figural details. Wonderful patina throughout, and nice preservation to facial details. Not recommended for wear, though a professional jeweler could install a modern ear wire for wearability.