Description:

Rome, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. An opulent pair of 18K gold earrings - each one with an upper circular pendant set with a translucent glass roundel surrounded by a granulated border as well as a stunning cluster of gold hollow spheres resembling grape clusters below. In addition to being quite sizeable and presenting a complex design, these earrings are replete with symbolic meaning as the grape motifs likely symbolized Bacchus (Greek Dionysos), the god of wine, grapes, and merriment! Size: 1.75" L (4.4 cm); grape clusters .75" L (1.9 cm); circular glass & gold adornments .625" W (1.6 cm); 2.875" H (7.3 cm) on included custom stand; weight: 10.9 grams.

The ancient Romans were the first civilization to cultivate grape vines. Grapes and wine of course were associated with Bacchus (identified in ancient Greece as Dionysos or Dionysus) - the Olympian god of wine, pleasure, ritual madness, ecstasy, and theatre who was sometimes depicted as a bearded adult but alternatively depicted as a youth, with a smooth face. The cult of Bacchus was hugely popular, signifying the freedom created by wine, music, and ecstatic dance. Romans knew the power of partying!

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; Ex-private German collection

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#129618

  • Condition: Minor denting to 'grapes'; one or two granules missing from one round pendant form; normal surface wear and nice traces of red cinnabar. Could be fitted with a modern setting to be worn.

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January 18, 2018 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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