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Etruscan Revival Tortoiseshell Amphorae Earrings

$2,500

Sold!

The amphora was an elegant container design that dates back to the Neolithic period. The pointed shape and size allowed them to fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storage rooms and packages, tied together with rope and delivered by land or sea. They were a part of everyday life in the ancient world. By the 19th century, they weren't used anymore except as an artistic motif, a kind of Neoclassical emoji. These earrings, carved from tortoiseshell, hang from discs modeled after the Etruscan gold jewelry that had just been discovered by Western archaeologists in the 1800s.

  • Metal

    15k gold (marked), tortoiseshell

  • Age

    c. 1880

  • Condition

    Very good

  • 2 1/8" length measured from the top of the ear wire

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Victorian

Aboutthe

VictorianEra

18371901

please note:Terms of Sale

Antiques can be returned unworn and in original condition within 10 days of delivery for an exchange or refund minus the cost of shipping. Once a piece has been altered, including ring re-sizing, it is FINAL SALE.