Getty Museum

Disk Ear Stud

Date

525–500 B.C.

Medium

Gold

Culture

Etruscan

Department

Jewelry

Institution

Getty Museum

One of a pair of disk earrings, the disk is formed of a circular gold sheet, the outer surface of which is decorated with seven rosettes: one in the center, surrounded by six encircling it. Each rosette bears a floral element at the center connected by 22 radiate strips to a surrounding band of granulation bordered by folded ribbon. In the spandrels between each rosette in the outer ring is a finely detailed female head in repoussé with a granule below the chin. Originally an East Greek type, striking disk earrings were a fashionable female accessory for several centuries. Complex patterns were made with filigree and granulation, the techniques of applying fine wires and miniscule gold granules to create intricate designs.

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