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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.

The Morgan L &M, Thaw Collection 2012.2:9a,b [link]

Parthian earrings, 1st to 2nd century.
Gold, garnet; length: 50 and 51 mm (including danglers); width: 25 and 24 mm

British Museum, Inv. no. 132933

Gold earring with garnets dated to the 1st century, probably from Iran.


Pair of Earrings with Dangling Bells, Parthian, 3rd to 2nd century B.C.E. Gold, H: 6.5 cm. Private Collection
http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2008/10/03/10807511.html
ca. 1st–2nd century; L: 5.7 cm
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/328744
Photo after Toledo Art Museum
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

Pair of earrings, gold and garnet Parthian, 2nd century CE, private collection
Photo © Heini Schneebeli / Bridgeman Images

Parthian jewelry 1st-3rd century.
National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad

Photo source
Headband, Parthian period. Photo after Jerome M. Eisenberg

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

Photo source image

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)

Photo Italian Archaeological Mission in Hatra [link]

Hook earring; gold and garnet; cloisonné and granulation; L. 4.5 cm. From Hatra, Building A, central courtyard.

Source: Colorado University [page does not exist anymore]

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

Gold and glass, Size: 4.3X1.2 cm
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

https://britishmuseum.org

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

Photo source

after Jerome M. Eisenberg


  1. Buddhist Jewels in Mortuary Cult Magic Symbols, Arputharani Sengupta https://www.academia.edu/39589580/Buddhist_Jewels_in_Mortuary_Cult_Magic_Symbols
  2. 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
  3. Minerva 2003, Vol. 14. No. 4, pp. 9-40.
    “Mesopotamia – masterworks and minor works from the Iraq Museum”
    Jerome M. Eisenberg
  4. Gids voor de afdeling West-Azië, Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, https://www.exorientelux.nl/download/phoenix34_1.pdf

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