1978.07

Pair of Roman Gold Earrings

Purchased.

Max. length 1.9cm; diam. of sphere 0.9cm.

Stolen from the ANU collection in December 2004.

Each ear-ring consists of a sphere on a circle of gold wire, the ends of which were twisted together to leave a small hoop at the top. The sphere has four indentations arranged regularly about the surface, each decorated with two concentric circles of thin applied wire. The hooks which went through the ear are not preserved. There is no indication that the indented circles contained precious stones.

Charles Ede Ltd (London), Catalogue 110 (July 1978) no. 34 (ill.); J.R. Green with B. Rawson, Catalogue of Antiquities in the Australian National University, A.N.U. (Canberra, 1981) 104.