Art Institute of Chicago

Earring

Egyptian

Date

New Kingdom, mid- to late Dynasty 18, about 1400–1295 BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

An Ancient Egyptian craftsman created this earring by first softening dark-blue glass with heat and bending it around a rod. They then fused a twisted cane of yellow-and-black glass to the main body of the earring. Though a portion of this piece has broken off, originally this earring would have had two loops at the top that allowed the wearer to string a wire through and hang it from their pierced ear. This particular style was popular during the New Kingdom (about 1550–1069 BCE), when Egyptian men, women, and children of all social classes wore earrings made from glass, precious metals, or stone.

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