Cypriot gold earring: Late Classical or early Hellenistic c. 350 BC
The Cypriot concern with bull imagery goes back into the Early Bronze Age I and is found in Crete and, later, Mycenae, and continues in almost every period. Gold earrings with bull-head imagery are known from the Late Bronze Age till at least the Roman period. The Bronze Age type was a full-face bull and the hoop passing through its top suggested the horns. This earring is of a type famous from the classical period (see Cesnola collection NY) and continuing through the Hellenistic.
This is an extremely fine example made from 3 strands of trwisted goldwire, two twisted filigree and one plain. The hollow bull-head terminal has chased decoration andapplied coiled and filigree wire. I am unsure if it might have had glass or stone eyes originally.
Size: 2.65g. 2.5 x 2.0cm
((Ex the collection of Michael Michaelides (1923-2015), an internationally famous Cypriot artist born in Paphos but resident later in London. His collection of Cypriot pieces was formed 1950s-1970s. This piece was purchased in at Sotheby’s London, 8th January 1968, lot 158 (part). Sold Chiswick Auctions 29th Sept 2015.))
(Aquired (Acquired from ArtAncient, May 2016))
DJ69
Cypriot gold earring Late Classical or early Hellenistic c. 350 BC
