Pair of Earrings （11th century）

• Title: Pair of Earrings
• Date: 11th century
• Geography: Attributed to Syria
• Medium: Gold; filigree and granulation
• Dimensions: H. 1 5/16 In. (3.3 cm)
  W. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
• Classification: Jewelry
• Collection：MET

Fatimid period (Egypt or Greater Syria), 11th century

These earrings do not belong to the Greek or Roman world. Yet they are part of the same story.

This pair, dated to the 11th century, represents a refined example of goldwork from the Fatimid world, where multiple techniques are brought into careful coordination. The crescent-shaped form (hilal), together with its openwork structure and layered construction, reflects a distinct ornamental language characteristic of medieval Islamic jewellery.

The surface is built through the interaction of several techniques. Granulation appears as small gold spheres, arranged as volumetric accents across the lower register. Filigree—formed from fine, twisted wires—creates scrolling patterns, giving the interior a sense of movement and continuity. These elements are set within a pierced, hollow structure, reducing weight while introducing depth and visual permeability.

From a technical perspective, the presence of granulation places these earrings within a much longer continuum. Originating in the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds, the technique did not disappear with classical antiquity. It moved—across regions, through craftsmen, through workshops—and by the medieval period, it was actively employed in the Islamic world, where it was adapted into new formal systems.

Here, granulation no longer dominates the surface, as it often does in Etruscan goldwork. Instead, it functions as one element within a composite decorative system—working alongside filigree and openwork to create rhythm, density, and structure.

These earrings therefore do not represent a continuation in form, but a continuation in knowledge: a technique that remained active, adaptable, and geographically expansive across centuries.