Hellenistic Earrings with Erotes in Gold, 2nd-3rd century AD and later

Heralds of Love

Hellenistic Earrings with Erotes in Gold, 2nd-3rd century AD and later

€ 2,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

Holding a piece of jewellery from the distant past in your hands can bridge millennia. We know nothing about the wearer of these earrings, at least one of which was probably made in Greece around 1800 years ago: nothing about what moved her, where exactly she lived, what pleasures she sought or what sorrows she knew. And yet we are holding an object in our hands that she once touched, that filled her with delight. In both earrings, the god Eros is depicted as a young, childlike boy. The figures are depicted with outstretched arms and in a dynamic striding position with one leg stretched out in front of them. The bodies of the Erotes are each cast in one solid piece. Details such as the feather structure of the wings are emphasized by fine engravings. Depictions of the god Eros are frequently found in Hellenistic pieces of jewellery from antiquity. As Aphrodite's companion, he is closely associated with beauty, love and fertility. Pieces of jewellery such as these not only adorned their wearers in life, but sometimes also accompanied them in death, as shown by a comparable pair of earrings now kept in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (Inv. No. ΜΘ 22556). The figure of Eros was ascribed a multi-layered symbolism. He appears both as the embodiment of life and as a being that stands between the worlds and connects them. The earrings are figurative and extremely sculptural. They are made of high-carat gold and are still comfortable to wear today thanks to their simple hoops. They come from the Jovy Collection in Cologne and, according to the previous owners, were acquired in the 1970s. They came to us via the Stuttgart auction house. We acquired the pair as Roman, 1st to 2nd century A.D. However, an XRF analysis revealed a more nuanced finding: while one of the two erotes is made of a gold alloy of exactly 22 carats, the other has a slightly varying alloy of just over 80 percent fine gold, which is typical of antique gold jewelry. These differences suggest that the pair are not two pieces that were created at the same time. In fact, one of the earrings is likely to be of ancient origin, while the other was probably made as a later addition based on a model. The design suggests a cast of a Hellenistic original, probably made in the 19th century using the sand casting process to create a complete pair. It is precisely this combination of original antiquity and historicist addition that makes the ensemble so appealing, as a testimony to how much the small witnesses of antiquity were appreciated even in later centuries.

Size & Details

Heralds of Love

€ 2,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more

Heralds of Love

Earrings

Privacy settings