Earring
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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
An Ancient Egyptian craftsman created this earring by first softening dark-blue glass with heat and bending it around a rod. They then fused a cane of white glass to the main body of the earring. Though a portion of this piece has broken off, originally this earring would have had two loops at the top that allowed the wearer to string a wire through and hang it from their pierced ear. This particular style was popular during the New Kingdom (about 1550–1069 BCE), when Egyptian men, women, and children of all social classes wore earrings made from glass, precious metals, or stone.
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