Pair of Hoop Earrings with Heads of Dionysos and Ariadne
Pair of Hoop Earrings with Heads of Dionysos and Ariadne
Place of OriginHellenistic
Date2nd-1st century B.C.E.
Dimensions1/2 × 1 × 7/8 in. (1.3 × 2.5 × 2.2 cm)
MediumGold; repoussé, filigree, granulation.
ClassificationJewelry
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, by exchange
Object number
2008.165A-B
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
Collections
Published ReferencesAntiquarium, Ltd., Ancient Treasures V (New York, 2007), p. 29Label TextThe Hellenistic world had a craving for gold jewelry and the elite commissioned vast amounts of it for personal adornment, temple offerings, and funerary gifts. Craftsmen perfected the art by using various techniques such as repousśe (molded from the back), filigree (twisted threads of precious metal), and granulation (“grains” or small balls of gold attached to a surface). The two hollow heads were shaped in the same die mold. A ribbon across his forehead differentiates the god Dionysos from his bride Ariadne.- Decorative Arts
2nd-1st century B.C.E.
250-150 BCE
about 220-130 BCE
Before 1880
19th or 20th Dynasty, around 1200 BCE
Workshop of the Floating Handles
first half CE 1st century
Second half of the 1st century CE
Fifth or fourth centuries BCE
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