Gold earrings and bangles
- Audio guide stop: 371
- Gallery: Room 61
- Audio guide: one commentary for a group of objects shown together
- Museum: The British Museum
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About these objects
Before you are two striking gold earrings from ancient Egypt, dating to the 18th Dynasty. These elegant pieces are among the finest examples of personal ornamentation from this period and highlight the skill and artistry of Egyptian metalworkers.
Each earring consists of five hollow, triangular gold tubes soldered together, with a longer central tube designed to fit through the ear lobe. At the base of this central tube, a small five-petaled flower has been carefully attached, adding a delicate floral touch that would have rested directly against the ear when worn.
Gold items like these were reserved for the elite, reflecting both personal taste and high social status. The soldered techniques used here would have required great precision, showing the advanced craftsmanship of the time.
Look closely at the triangular tubes and the floral detail—these fine touches are what make this pair truly remarkable.
See it in person
Gold earrings and bangles is on display in Room 61 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 371, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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