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Spool earring
Italic, Etruscan
Archaic Period
6th century B.C.
Medium/Technique
Gold
Dimensions
Length: 2.7 cm (1 1/16 in.)
Weight: 5.4 gm (0.01 lb.)
Weight: 5.4 gm (0.01 lb.)
Credit Line
General Funds
Accession Number82.26
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Earrings, flares, plugs, studs
DescriptionAn “a baule” or spool earring consists of sheet metal rounded at one end and rolled into a spool. A hook at one end of the earring either passed through the earlobe or a suspension hoop in the ear. The spool is divided into three sections of decoration: the upper, semi-circular portion that covered the ear lobe, a central square, richly-decorated section, and the lower third divided into three fluted sections.
The upper third is decorated with a palmette design executed in granulation and filigree. The central third is divided into nine squares, filled either with small hemispheres covered with granulation or a plain hemisphere topped with a central bead and surrounded by four smaller beads. In the bottom third, rows of large beads and beaded filigree wire form a border for the three parallel sections.
The upper third is decorated with a palmette design executed in granulation and filigree. The central third is divided into nine squares, filled either with small hemispheres covered with granulation or a plain hemisphere topped with a central bead and surrounded by four smaller beads. In the bottom third, rows of large beads and beaded filigree wire form a border for the three parallel sections.
ProvenanceBy date unknown: Prince Lucien Bonaparte Collection; by 1882: with Phillips Bros., 23 Cockspur Street, London; January 19, 1882: purchased by MFA from Phillips Bros. for $ 106.92 (the total price for MFA 82.26-82.28a-b)