A pair of Roman gold earrings with Egyptian ankhs. - (SJ.0200)

A pair of Roman gold earrings with Egyptian ankhs. - (SJ.0200)   « Less

On these classical earrings, hollow hemispheres of gold attach to hoops of twisted wire adorned with granulated pendants. They are designed to catch and reflect the light, to  More »

On these classical earrings, hollow hemispheres of gold attach to hoops of twisted wire adorned with granulated pendants. They are designed to catch and reflect the light, to draw subtle attention to the charms of the woman who wears them. We can only guess as to the identity of their original owner. We know she lived when the Roman Empire was at its height, and that she was buried in Ashkelon with these treasured tokens. All else is conjecture. Yet when we admire her choice of jewels, we feel we understand something about her that is vital and important. - (SJ.0202)   « Less

Since the dawn of time, men and women have adorned themselves with that which is beautiful, unusual or unique to set themselves apart from the crowd. Centuries ago, some  More »

Since the dawn of time, men and women have adorned themselves with that which is beautiful, unusual or unique to set themselves apart from the crowd. Centuries ago, some roman woman chose these delicate jewels to draw attention to her charms. Perhaps the deep green beads matched her eyes, or the coral colored ones highlighted the bloom in her cheeks. We can only imagine what she looked like, or what made her laugh, whom she loved and why. Yet when we handle these lovely earrings that she treasured, she reaches out to us across the ages. - (SJ.0206)   « Less

This lovely talisman depicts Aphrodite Venus; the classical Goddess of Love. She stands drying her hair after a bath, flanked by a basin upon which doves rest, and attended  More »

This lovely talisman depicts Aphrodite Venus; the classical Goddess of Love. She stands drying her hair after a bath, flanked by a basin upon which doves rest, and attended by her son, the winged God Eros who holds up a mirror. This charming pendant was no doubt worn as a token of love during the golden age of Rome. Its original owner must have been a very beautiful woman indeed to invite comparison with a Goddess. Today, her loveliness survives only in our imaginations, but it is reflected in this radiant token of timeless love. - (SJ.0213)   « Less

In the classical world, the head of the gorgon medusa was thought of as the ultimate protection against harm. The mythological hero Perseus used the snaky-locked head to turn  More »

In the classical world, the head of the gorgon medusa was thought of as the ultimate protection against harm. The mythological hero Perseus used the snaky-locked head to turn his enemies to stone. By roman times, the Gorgon head was used to bring good fortune and frighten away the evil eye. Here, a pair of these lucky talismans forms the centerpieces of exquisite golden earrings. Though we know little about the woman who wore them when Rome was at her peak, we can tell that she had an elegant sense of style. She was very fortunate indeed to have adorned herself with these charming jewels. - (SJ.0215)   « Less

Faceted to reflect the light, these green glass beads may have imitated emerald. That precious gem, mined in the deserts of Egypt during classical times, was only available  More »

Faceted to reflect the light, these green glass beads may have imitated emerald. That precious gem, mined in the deserts of Egypt during classical times, was only available to the noble and wealthy. As early as the Bronze Age, jewelers had learned to fashion glass into exquisite facsimiles of rare gems. There is no denying that these jewels have elegance and style, and that time has lent their simple glass preciousness beyond its intrinsic value. In the pale radiance of these earrings, we sense the beauty of the woman they adorned so long ago. - (SJ.0217)   « Less

Small triangular pendants of granulated gold drop from hoops of twisted wire on these charming earrings. Centuries ago, some woman wore them in her ears as women still adorn  More »

Small triangular pendants of granulated gold drop from hoops of twisted wire on these charming earrings. Centuries ago, some woman wore them in her ears as women still adorn themselves today. We can imagine them glittering in the sun of an ancient afternoon or catching the glow of torchlight at a festival. About their original owner, we can only guess. Was she someone's beloved, and were these a gift of love? They must have been very important to her that she chose to be buried with them. All other clues to her existence have vanished, yet in the presence of these radiant jewels her memory burns bright. - (SJ.0218)   « Less

The loops of these exquisite earrings are fashioned into little golden women, almost certainly Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. As we hold them today, we can imagine the beautiful  More »

The loops of these exquisite earrings are fashioned into little golden women, almost certainly Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. As we hold them today, we can imagine the beautiful woman who wore them when the classical world was in full flower. Surely she must have been a passionate individual to wear these tokens of love so close about her person. Inevitably, her mortal loveliness has been forgotten with time, but these golden jewels continue to evoke her beauty and the timeless power of love. - (SJ.0221)   « Less

Objects such as this, once worn around the neck of a citizen of the Roman Empire, remind us of what a vital, lively place the classical world really was. The gesture made by  More »

Objects such as this, once worn around the neck of a citizen of the Roman Empire, remind us of what a vital, lively place the classical world really was. The gesture made by this golden fist-- the thumb thrust between the first and second fingers--carries overt sexual overtones. It was surely worn centuries ago as a talisman to insure success in love. To hold it today is to realize that the essentials of human existence, the basic emotional and physical patterns of life, have changed but little with the passage of time. - (SJ.0222)   « Less

Tapering hoops with animal-head finials were an extremely popular design during the Hellenistic period- especially lions, bulls, birds and gazelles. They first appeared in  More »

Tapering hoops with animal-head finials were an extremely popular design during the Hellenistic period- especially lions, bulls, birds and gazelles. They first appeared in Greece in the 4th Century BC. The form may have originated in Etruria where they date back to the fifth century. The style of some of the animal heads is also suggestive of a link with the art of Achaemenid Persia. The hoops on this splendid pair of earrings are formed from coiled wires which taper to a point at one end. The other end terminates in an ornamental collar from which the head of a lion emerges. The heads are formed from sheet gold worked in repousse. The mouths are open to form a hole for attaching the pin. Surviving classical terracottas and bronze mirrors both depict women wearing this type of earring.   « Less