Lot 12
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A dazzling pair of gold earrings comprised of twisted hoops with petite shields and suspended grape clusters, all fit on modern hooks to be wearable. Nearly identical, each adornment features a slender wire of gold that twists to a spiraling design, forming the hoop of the earring, a convex shield with a central nodule, and a twisted periphery, and a series of 6 pyramidal clusters of granules - known as grape clusters - cascading from the bottom. A stunning combination of modern style and ancient art! Size without hook (both about the same): 1.3" L x 0.8" W (3.3 cm x 2 cm); with hook: 1.8" L (4.6 cm); gold quality: 82.9% (equivalent to 19K+); total weight: 5.9 grams
Grapes were an essential part of Roman culture. The ancient Romans were the first civilization to cultivate grape vines. Grapes and wine of course were associated with Bacchus (identified in ancient Greece as Dionysos or Dionysus) - the Olympian god of wine, pleasure, ritual madness, ecstasy, and theatre who was sometimes depicted as a bearded adult but alternatively depicted as a youth, with a smooth face. The cult of Bacchus was hugely popular, signifying the freedom created by wine, music, and ecstatic dance. Romans knew the power of partying! Perhaps these were worn to their festivities.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired March 2022; ex-Ira and Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Los Angeles, California, USA; ex-private East Coast, USA collection, acquired prior to 1979
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#173903
- Condition: Ancient hoops set on modern hooks to be wearable. Slight bending to gold wire, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact, excellent, and wearable with scattered areas of earthen deposits. Accompanied by modern velvet earring box.
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