Earring with ibex head

Ptolemaic Period
4th–3rd century B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 134
Hoops formed of wound wire with animal head terminals are the commonest type of Hellenistic earring. The heads on these earrings have been referred to as those of gazelles, but is now thought more likely to be an ibex. Ibex-head earrings are well-known in Egypt, but also Asia Minor and Cyprus.

The relatively simple decoration of these earrings points to an early Ptolemaic date.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Earring with ibex head
  • Period: Ptolemaic Period
  • Date: 4th–3rd century B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: As Worn: H. 1.9 × W. 2 cm (3/4 × 13/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1940
  • Object Number: 40.9.3
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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Earring with ibex head - Ptolemaic Period - The Metropolitan Museum of Art