Earring with Bull-Head Terminal

CultureEgyptian

PeriodPtolemaic Period

Date4th-3rd Century BCE

MediumGold

Credit LineGift of the Georges Ricard Foundation

Dimensions15/16 x 11/16 x 5/16 in., 1 g (2.4 x 1.8 x 0.8 cm, 1/16 oz.)

Object number2018.010.1087

Label TextEarrings with animal head terminals are the most common type of Ptolemaic/Hellenistic earrings. A circle of twisted or straight gold wire tapers from the bull’s head to a hooked end fastened around a loop below the animal’s chin. The bull was a symbol of strength and fertility throughout the ancient world.
Exhibition HistoryLife and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 4 - August 6, 2023
Published ReferencesMelinda K. Hartwig, ed. Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2023), catalogue entry 8.

ProvenanceEx coll. Georges Ricard Foundation, Santa Barbara, California.

Status

Not on view

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