Generally the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to an earring is its just a small piece of jewelry. However there is a lot of work that goes into some earrings and they have a lot more meaning behind them just an accessory. In this gallery I want to highlight different kinds of earrings from a span of different time periods.
Trépka, From the collection of: Regional Ethnographic Museum-Plovdiv
This earring comes from a collection of Bulgarian Folk Jewelry. It dates back to the XIX time period and as you can see it is very intricate. I think what stands out right away is the small details on each little piece that then is combined to make one. The repeating pattern of each makes it all come together.
Coin Earrings, From the collection of: Regional Ethnographic Museum-Plovdiv
These earrings are also apart of the Bulgarian Folk Jewelry collection and dates back to the XIX time period. They are made out of brass and what I think makes them appealing is how simplistic they are. While it looks like a plain coin it is balanced out with two orange beads adding some color to the piece.
Pair of earrings, Unknown, 3rd quarter of 19th century, From the collection of: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
These were made in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century and the material used is very interesting. They are made from gold and human hair. The hair was woven to created the shape and object for the earring. An interesting note is a lot of the time the hair would be from a deceased family member. A design element that really sticks out is the texture, being that it is actually composed of hair.
Pair of "a grappolo" type earrings, late 5th–4th century B.C.E., From the collection of: Dallas Museum of Art
These earrings are from the Etruscan people which dates way back to the late 5th to 4th centuries B.C. Obviously by looking at them they are made from gold and they have a very elegant look to them. Some elements that stand out are its bright gold color and also the very detailed line work that is around the edges.
Pair of earrings, Unknown, 12th century - 13th century, From the collection of: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
These earrings come from Iran and date back to the 12th century to 13th century. These are made out of gold and use wire to form all the little details. Pattern elements really stick out when looking at these. As well as the form which makes up an animal.
Two-Tiered Enamel Earrings, Unknown, late 18th-early 19th century, From the collection of: Brooklyn Museum
These earrings are from the late 18th-early 19th century and were created in Iran. They are made out of gold and have suspended leafs that hang from different tears. Elements that stick out in this one is definitely line and balance. The use of those make everything really flow together to make an impressive piece.
Earrings (chand bali), unknown, 1800/1900, From the collection of: National Museum - New Delhi
These earrings come from Rajasthan which is a northern Indian state that borders Pakistan. The work that went in to these is impressive. As well as all the different materials used in making them. They incorporated rubies, gold, diamonds, and pearls. In terms of design this one highlights the use of a repeating pattern.
Pair of earrings, Unknown, 1860-1870, From the collection of: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
This pair was created between 1860-1870 and are very similar to a previous pair in this gallery. I choose to highlight this type of earrings again simply because of the material they are made of. These earrings are made of gold, but mainly human hair. While at first that sounds a little strange I think it is extremely interesting how they were able to use hair.
Pair of earrings, Tinsel Trading Company, 1880-1900, From the collection of: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
These earrings were created between 1880-1900 and have a really interesting material that they are made from. They used gold, but the main material came from a tortoiseshell. Beside the different build material a design element that stands out to me is the color. It has a very deep black and almost reddish tint that makes it very intimate.
Earrings and pendants, Unknown, 1800 - 1900 circa, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan
I choose to finish off this gallery with an impressive piece, which was produced in the mid 1800's. The piece comes out of the Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan which is located in Russia. I think they are impressive because of the detailed line work and colors that run throughout the silver. These earrings make a statement when you see them and are a perfect end to this art gallery.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
