Hellenistic Greek 16K Gold Earring - Harpy

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Holiday Glitz - Ancient / Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Nov 29, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-11-29 10:00:00 2018-11-29 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Holiday Glitz - Ancient / Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/holiday-glitz---ancient-ethnographic-art-3672
What to give this holiday season? Think silver, gold, bronze, shiny, glittery, wearable, festive. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. This is one sale you don't want to miss! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. late 4th to 2nd century BCE. An ornate 16 karat gold earring in the form of a harpy, here depicted as mostly the upper body of a woman, with the tail and feathers of a bird. Her hands curl into claws at the ends of short arms and large, swan-like wings curl up the sides of the earring, resting against the sides of her head like an elaborate coiffure. Her face is solemn and beautiful, capped by an elaborate crown. She is topless, wearing a body chain that crisscrosses her torso and meets in a large, round pendant between her breasts. The earring hangs from a thin, rope-like gold wire loop with a delicate clasping mechanism. This is hung on a modern cord to create a necklace. The harpy was originally a personification of the wind, but slowly transformed into fierce half-women, half-birds who were listed among the guardians of the underworld. Size: 0.75" W x 1.3" H (1.9 cm x 3.3 cm); length of cord: 18" L (45.7 cm); 3.3 grams
  
  The elaborate golden earring calls to mind the famous example of an earring shaped like Nike on a chariot, currently at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/earring-with-nike-driving-a-two-horse-chariot-155707) or the Ganymede jewelry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/37.11.8-.17/). Flying mythological creatures like Eros, Nike, the eagle of Zeus, and harpies were very popular subjects for earrings during the Hellenistic period. These items were often family heirlooms, passed down through the generations, but many found their way into tombs, buried with their final owners.
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #133254

  Condition

  Slight bending to form. Otherwise in excellent condition. Ancient earring on a modern cord.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

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