An important pair of gold Hellenistic earrings

An important pair of gold Hellenistic earrings

Description

An important pair of gold Hellenistic earrings, each earring with a disc centrally decorated with a four-tiered flower-head with convex petals with twisted wire decorated edges, surrounded by wave-scroll filigree decorations and the rim is edged with beaded wire, suspending a Sphinx terminating to an inverted pyramid pendant, flanked on each side with a figure of a winged Eros.

Each Sphinx with a die-formed front and plain gold closed back, the square based pyramid pendant embellished with granular finials and a frieze with wave-scroll filigree, four large hollow gold spheres with granulated, filigree and rosette decorations, and a cone decorated with spiral beaded wire, all terminating to a large and a small granule (one small granule missing from one earring).

On each side of the central pendant, two winged Erotes, each suspended from two loop-in-loop chains with a rosette finial (one rosette is missing) and a leaf-shaped drop in-between attached to the disc (two leaves missing). Each Eros holding an iynx, iynx was a magic spinning wheel rotated by pulling attached strings and it was invented by Aphrodite who taught its use to Eros in order to attract lovers (one iynx missing).

Circa 330-300 BC, Eastern Greece (possibly from Kyme, Aeolis), measuring approximately 6.2 x 3.1cm, gross weight 25.2 grams.

Provenance
Collection of Colonel Ribatchenkoff (1890-1975)
Sold to Colonel E. Ronde in the 1950s
Galerie la Reine Margot (published in a catalogue in 2013)
Galerie Antoine Tarantino (published in the BAAF catalogue in 2015)
Private collection, Paris

Two near identical pairs in the collection of the British Museum: MARSHALL, FH, Catalogue of the jewellery, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman, in the departments of antiquities, British Museum, n°1670-1 and 1672-3, both pairs of earrings from the site of Kyme at Aeolis, circa 330-300 BC.

This important pair of gold Hellenistic earrings is part of the collection of Bentley & Skinner, the distinguished London jewellers by royal appointment to His Majesty the King. Each earring stands as a masterpiece of artistry, featuring at the top a four-tiered flower, meticulously detailed with delicately twisted wire edges and surrounded by intricate wave-scroll filigree decorations. Suspended from this floral centrepiece is a Sphinx, gracefully culminating in an inverted pyramid pendant, flanked on either side by the figures of winged Eros. Each Heros holds an iynx, a magical spinning wheel thought to allure lovers by rotating it with attached strings. Dating back to circa 330-300 BC, these earrings originate from Eastern Greece and possess a mystical allure. They not only hold a significant place in human heritage but also stand as a timeless and elegant addition to any discerning jewellery collection.