Plug
ca. 1478-1425 B.C.E.
Maker Unknown
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Earrings
Earrings were a late arrival in Egypt.
They first appeared in the Middle Kingdom—probably introduced from Nubia or western Asia—but did not become popular until early in the Eighteenth Dynasty. By that time, in the truly cosmopolitan civilization of the New Kingdom, men, women, and children of high social standing all wore earrings. Perhaps because they originated in a foreign culture, earrings seem to have had no protective function for the Egyptians, unlike other jewelry. The principal forms of earrings included hoops, “boats,” plugs, and studs. All four types were attached to the ear through a hole piercing the lobe.
Earrings were a late arrival in Egypt.
They first appeared in the Middle Kingdom—probably introduced from Nubia or western Asia—but did not become popular until early in the Eighteenth Dynasty. By that time, in the truly cosmopolitan civilization of the New Kingdom, men, women, and children of high social standing all wore earrings. Perhaps because they originated in a foreign culture, earrings seem to have had no protective function for the Egyptians, unlike other jewelry. The principal forms of earrings included hoops, “boats,” plugs, and studs. All four types were attached to the ear through a hole piercing the lobe.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Jewelry
- Formatted Medium
- Egyptian alabaster
- Locations
- Place excavated: Balabish, Egypt
- Dynasty
- Dynasty 18
- Period
- New Kingdom
- Dimensions
- 15.500a: 15/16 x diam. 13/16 in. (2.4 x 2 cm) 15.500b: 9/16 x diam. 1/2 in. (1.4 x 1.3 cm)
- Accession Number
- 15.500a-b
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund
- Exhibitions
- Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Ancient Egyptian Art
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
- Museum Location
- Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
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