Ear-drops

These gold ear-drops must have made quite an impression, visibly peeping out from under dark, oriental hair or a headdress. Each is shaped like an oval shield fastened onto a 'plaited band' tapering downwards . They were made after a local Syrian design.
The shields are decorated with an omega-shaped double spiral made of twined thread. Underneath the shields there are three small, round beads, decorated with hanging strips done in the granulation technique, featuring little gold grains. (‘To granulate’means ‘to make grains’.) In the National Museum of Damascus numerous examples of this design are to be found, in different sizes.