Filigree Crescent Earrings

Description

The ornate design of our crescent earrings is adapted from an eleventh-century Egyptian gold pendant in the Museum’s collection. The original pendant, in the shape of a closed crescent, features finely wrought decoration executed entirely in filigree, granulation, and rope braid.

18K gold overlay. 1 1/2''L, 1" diam. Pierced, with vermeil wires.

Art History

Sophisticated techniques of filigree work and applied granulation characterize much of the jewelry in the Museum’s collection of Islamic art. During the eleventh to thirteenth century, craftsmen in Egypt, Syria, and Iran produced finely executed, intricate gold jewelry with a tendency toward lightweight hollow construction.