Jewelry The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Islamic Medallion Carnelian Drop Earrings

Unique Art Jewelry Inspired By The Met Collection.

The Eye-Catching Medallions And Carnelian Accents Characterizing These Drop Earrings Are Adapted From A Late 19Th–Early 20Th-Century Dorsal Plait Ornament, A Type Of Hair Ornament Traditionally Worn To Embellish The Braids Of Married Turkmen Women. The Elaborate Artistry Of The Original, Attributed To Central Asia Or Iran And Now In The Met’S Islamic Art Collection, Is Typical Of The Yomut People, A Turkmen Group Inhabiting Central Asia. It Presents A Diverse Array Of Shapes, From Cordiforms To Lozenges, As Well As Bells And, Notably, Persian Coins. The Decorative Repurposing Of Coins Reflects The Turkmen’S Pride As Warriors, Though In The Example That Inspired These Earrings, Rather Unusually, They Serve As The Base For Gilded And Embossed Plaques, Which Obscures Their Original Use As Currency.