An Indian king wore these gold earrings more than two thousand years ago. Look at the lower one. Find the slit used to attach it to the ear lobe. It's in the loop at the center. Now, look closely at the side of this earring. You'll see a tiny elephant. Imagine the patience and skill it took to shape this elephant and decorate it with tiny beads of gold. Now, go around to the opposite side of the case. You'll see another animal on this earring: a lion with wings. What do you think it felt like to wear these earrings? They're so heavy that if you wore them every day, they'd stretch your ear lobes. In this period, men, women, and children all wore heavy earrings, but not always made of gold. Look around at other artworks nearby. Most of these are from India. Do you see any figures with long ear lobes? Now you know why.