One of the characteristic type of Parthian earrings has the form of a star-shaped box inlayed with gemstones, garnets mostly, and with the bell-shaped pendants on chains. Judging by the large number of surviving pieces, such earrings were produced on a mass scale.
Pair of such earrings is in the collection of museum in Leiden [B 1982/6.42, B 1982/6.43]. Made of gold are decorated with garnets, blue and white stones, and tiny gold granules. They are 4.5 and 5 cm long. Parthian Period 250 BCE-224 CE, Iran.
Parthian earrings, 1st to 2nd century.
Gold, garnet; length: 50 and 51 mm (including danglers); width: 25 and 24 mm
Gold earring with garnets dated to the 1st century, probably from Iran.
Pictures: 1., 2. ©Sailko [wiki]
3. https://www.romeartlover.it/Persia.html
Gandhara, 1st-2nd century [Buddhist Jewels]
http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2008/10/03/10807511.html
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/328744
https://detroitartreview.com
Parthian gold earrings with woven wire, granulation, and garnets, 1st century CE. Length of each: 8.0 cm.; weight: 11.2 and 11.4 g.
Private Collection, North America
Photo © Heini Schneebeli / Bridgeman Images
Parthian jewelry 1st-3rd century.
National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad
Headband, from Seleucia-on-the-Tigris / ‘Umair. Parthian era, 2nd century BCE/CE.
Gold, garnet, malachite and pearls. L. 18.5 cm, w. 2.5 cm.
IM 19956, (B78-189)
Cleveland Art Museum link
1-200 CE, Seleucia, Iraq
An earring. Gold, garnet, pearls, chrysoprase. L. 6 cm, w. 2.5cm.
Seleucia-on-the-Tigris / ‘Umair, Iraq,
1st – 2nd century.
Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad
IM 11955, (B78-190) [Jerome M. Eisenberg]
British Museum link
2nd C; Iraq, Kouyunjik (Nineveh)
Iran, gold and garnet pendant, 3rd century
Museo nazionale d’arte orientale (Rome)
Photo by Sailko [wiki]
Parthian-like earring, gold, garnet, coral and pearls;
3rd century. Found near the Batyr-Bai (Batyrbai, Batyrbek ) lake, Kazakhstan (chance find).
Akishev A.K., Ancient gold of Kazakhstan, 1983
JEWELRY FOUND IN HATRA
Earring with cloisonné pendant. From Hatra / al-Hadhr.
1st-2nd century
Gold, garnet, green glass? L. 6 cm.
IM 68096, (B78-185)
Hook earring; gold and garnet; cloisonné and granulation; L. 4.5 cm. From Hatra, Building A, central courtyard.
Similar jewelry from the same period that is not labeled as “Parthian”
Georgian National Museum link
Earrings, gold, garnet, 6.6 x 2 cm;
2nd-3rd century, site: Armaziskhevi
Found: Pichvnari, Colcian cemetery, Georgia
Batumi Archaeological Museum Collection Inv. № 1:12/136, 47-48
Photo source source
“Jewellery from ancient Persia (Parthian era: ca. 200 BC – 200 AD); Amsterdam Archeology Museum (Het Allard Pierson Museum) – Photo by Pejman Akbarzadeh (Persian Dutch Network, 2012)” [wiki]
Gids voor de afdeling West-Azië, Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, Plate III, page 90
https://www.exorientelux.nl/download/phoenix34_1.pdf
Necklace (L. 28 cm) of gold and red semi-precious stones from Joben, southwest of the Caspian Sea.
Parthian period, 250 BCE – 224 CE.
It is exhibited in the National Museum of Iran [van Vilsteren]
Similar elements to those from the Neo-Assyrian reliefs
The silver pin, Parthian, 250-300 CE. A scene similar to the funeral reliefs like ones from Palmyra for example. Reclining man holding a bowl, in front of him seated woman. Found Masjid-i Suleman, Iran
At the Reza Abbasi Museum (Tehran, Iran) there is a wonderful unique set from the Parthian era with a clear Greek influence. A comb with a pair of Erotes & a mysterious face, and a hair pin with goddess Nike, made of gold with carnelian. Some stones /inlay are missing.
Double-sided pendant
Late Parthian, 3rd century
Gold, garnet, glass; 41 x 30 mm
The Morgan L&M, Thaw Collection 2012.2:10 [link]
Sassanid jewelry, 3rd-6th century.
National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad
- Buddhist Jewels in Mortuary Cult Magic Symbols, Arputharani Sengupta https://www.academia.edu/39589580/Buddhist_Jewels_in_Mortuary_Cult_Magic_Symbols
- V.T. van Vilsteren and J. Nokandeh (eds), Iran: Bakermat van de Beschaving [Iran – cradle of civilization]. Catalogue of exhibition at Drents Museum, Assen 2018 https://www.academia.edu
- Minerva 2003, Vol. 14. No. 4, pp. 9-40.
“Mesopotamia – masterworks and minor works from the Iraq Museum”
Jerome M. Eisenberg - Gids voor de afdeling West-Azië, Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, https://www.exorientelux.nl/download/phoenix34_1.pdf
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