History of the jewelry

Chinese Earrings from the Tang Dynasty (500-800s).

The jewelry is surprisingly contemporary in its design, but dates all the way back to the emperors of the Tang Dynasty. The original earrings adorned a Chinese noblewoman. The Tang Dynasty is undoubtedly China's most magnificent period, a time of enlightenment and prosperity that lasted from 618 to 907 AD. The Chinese empire extended to the Caspian Sea and literature, crafts, and learning were developed and protected. Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity spread under the protection of the empire.

Material: Gilded with 22 carat gold. Earring backs in gold-plated silver

Length: 0.86 inches

From the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts