Earring

Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. Many pieces seem too large to wear comfortably, but they are usually made of very thin gold, and are much lighter than they appear.

All Italian women wore gold earrings. Their shapes varied widely in different places. This earring comes from Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples. Earrings like this are called 'a navicella' in Italian, meaning boat-shaped, and are extremely common throughout the southern regions and Sicily. Their design may date back to Classical times.

This earring was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.