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Collections

Pair of Earringsfirst half of 11th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries
Pair of gold hoop earrings with hollow openwork spherical pendants covered in scrollwork, coiled wire rosettes, and claw-like projections at the base
Two gold hoop earrings with openwork spherical pendants decorated with granulation and filigree; the left example is slightly more worn, the right retains brighter gold color.
Two gold earrings with hoop fittings and hollow spherical pendants decorated with intricate openwork filigree and granulation, one shown face-up and one reversed to display the back clasp mechanism.
Four gold jewelry pieces: a large crescent-shaped pendant with filigree work and granulation set with red garnet cabochons; two matching earrings with openwork spherical pendants; and a plain-shanked ring set with a turquoise cabochon.
Two gold earrings with openwork spherical pendants decorated with granulation and applied beaded ornaments; one shown from the back with a pin fitting, the other displaying a hoop and twisted wire wrapping.
Title
Pair of Earrings
Place Made
Iran
Date Made
first half of 11th century
Medium
Gold, sheet, wire, and granules
Dimensions
Height: 1 3/8 in. (3.49 cm) each
Credit Line
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2002.1.544a-b
Classification
Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

Much of what is known about personal adornment from the medieval Islamic world is based on jewelry, since textiles deteriorate quickly and few complete garments have survived. While gold jewelry is also rare, as it was frequently melted down, extant pieces like these earrings provide an idea of the types of fashions available in the eleventh century. Attributable to Iran, the earrings share a number of features, like the delicate filigree work (wire made into decorative configurations), with contemporaneous Egyptian and Syrian jewelry, revealing the exchange of styles and techniques across Islamic lands.

2024

Selected Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.

  • Komaroff, Linda. Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016.