Ca. 11th-12th century AD
A matched pair of Seljuk gold earrings, each made of a wire elongated hoop. The bottom half of the loop is decorated with three rows of gold baubles, and the turquoise adornments are flanked by four beaded, hexagonal clasps. Central to this decorative scheme are two hexagonal, turquoise beads that are stacked in the middle of these beads. The earrings are fastened by a hook and eye closure.

The Seljuks were a prominent Turkic dynasty that emerged in the 11th century and established a vast empire across Central Asia and the Middle East. Gold earrings such as these examples, with their ornate designs and expensive materials, served as expressions of wealth, status, and cultural identity for the Seljuk peoples.
 
Provenance: Private London family collection; formed between 1970-2008.