GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Toward the end of the 4th century BCE, new shapes and materials were introduced to Greek jewelry. The most ingenious innovation of the Greek goldsmiths of this period is the animal-head earring: a tapering, penannular hoop made of twisted wire with one terminal and the larger end in the form of an animal's head. In this example, the bodies of the dolphins are hollow, made from two halves in sheet gold. The seam along the back of the body is turned into a notched ridge. The eyes and fins are indicated by twisted-wire filigree. A strip of sheet gold, serrated at one edge, forms an arch above the eye. An undulating gold wire is applied in a rectangle to the crest of the head. The tail fin, preserved only on one piece, is decorated with parallel lines of twisted wires. A strong gold ear wire, originating from the top of the dolphin's head, holds a globular, black-and-white banded-agate bead, a small disk with an edging of twisted wires, and a coil of fine twisted wires. The tapering end of the ear wire can be inserted into a loop attached to the back of the tail fin. The comparison with dolphin-shaped terminals of necklaces, found in graves in Taranto, suggests a date in the second to first century BCE and a south Italian origin.
It has been assumed that this design derived from Etruscan lion-head earrings, represented by several examples seen in the collection of the Dallas Museum of Art (1991.75.27.a-b, 1991.75.28.a-b). However, it is more likely that the animal-head earring type is a genuine Greek creation, inspired by a long-established type of Greek animal-head bracelets like a lion-headed bracelet (1991.75.52), also in our collection.
Adapted from
Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 62-63, 134.
NOTES
- entered publication as a text entry in TMS
- updated provenance and geo x ref
- content not loading online as of 27 July 2018. Rule had been applied to objects where number equals 1991.75.85. I suspect the content is not connecting to the earrings because this number is incomplete. I rewrote rule [Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.85.A and where number equals 1991.75.85.B] to see if it will successfully connect after the next harvest (supposed to happen July 28). If this corrects mistake- HAB can confirm rules of the other multi-part objects. (EAS- 7/27/2018)
- HAB check in on 7/30/18, no content showing up on OLC. I'm changing the rule to: Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.85.A-B
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1989: probably Collection of Dr. Athos Moretti, Switzerland [1]
1989-1991: Collection of Robert Haber, New York, New York [2]
From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.
[1] based on existing provenance entry in TMS
[2] See printed email exchange between Andrew Oliver and Anne Bromberg, dated August 3, 2012, found in Collections Record Object file 1991.75.53
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.85.A-B
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
Toward the end of the 4th century BCE, new shapes and materials were introduced to Greek jewelry. The most ingenious innovation of the Greek goldsmiths of this period is the animal-head earring: a tapering, penannular hoop made of twisted wire with one terminal and the larger end in the form of an animal's head. In this example, the bodies of the dolphins are hollow, made from two halves in sheet gold. The seam along the back of the body is turned into a notched ridge. The eyes and fins are indicated by twisted-wire filigree. A strip of sheet gold, serrated at one edge, forms an arch above the eye. An undulating gold wire is applied in a rectangle to the crest of the head. The tail fin, preserved only on one piece, is decorated with parallel lines of twisted wires. A strong gold ear wire, originating from the top of the dolphin's head, holds a globular, black-and-white banded-agate bead, a small disk with an edging of twisted wires, and a coil of fine twisted wires. The tapering end of the ear wire can be inserted into a loop attached to the back of the tail fin. The comparison with dolphin-shaped terminals of necklaces, found in graves in Taranto, suggests a date in the second to first century BCE and a south Italian origin.
It has been assumed that this design derived from Etruscan lion-head earrings, represented by several examples seen in the collection of the Dallas Museum of Art (1991.75.27.a-b, 1991.75.28.a-b). However, it is more likely that the animal-head earring type is a genuine Greek creation, inspired by a long-established type of Greek animal-head bracelets like a lion-headed bracelet (1991.75.52), also in our collection.
Adapted from
Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 62-63, 134.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
- entered publication as a text entry in TMS
- updated provenance and geo x ref
- content not loading online as of 27 July 2018. Rule had been applied to objects where number equals 1991.75.85. I suspect the content is not connecting to the earrings because this number is incomplete. I rewrote rule [Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.85.A and where number equals 1991.75.85.B] to see if it will successfully connect after the next harvest (supposed to happen July 28). If this corrects mistake- HAB can confirm rules of the other multi-part objects. (EAS- 7/27/2018)
- HAB check in on 7/30/18, no content showing up on OLC. I'm changing the rule to: Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.85.A-B
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1989: probably Collection of Dr. Athos Moretti, Switzerland [1]
1989-1991: Collection of Robert Haber, New York, New York [2]
From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.
[1] based on existing provenance entry in TMS
[2] See printed email exchange between Andrew Oliver and Anne Bromberg, dated August 3, 2012, found in Collections Record Object file 1991.75.53
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1991.75.85.A-B
source file
object_notes_2_d-0479.xml.nores