Czére Andrea szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 105. (Budapest, 2006)

MARIANNA DÁGI: Training the Eye: Technical Details as Clues in the Attribution of Ancient Jewellery

TRAINING THE EYE TECHNICAL DETAILS AS CLUES IN THE ATTRIBUT ION OF ANCIENT JEWELLERY MARIANNA DÁGI Animal-head hoop earrings form the largest part of the ancient gold jewellery in the Collection of Classical Antiquities in Budapest. They were among the most popular jewellery types produced in the Hellenistic period.' Such pieces, decorated with different kinds of animal and human head ornament, were series-produced in large numbers across the Mediterranean world from the second half of the fourth century to the end of the second century BC. Of the known types, two kinds of bull's-head hoop earrings

2 (one with a simpler sort of collar-type connecting element between the hoop and the head, and another type with a complex connecting element made from more than one part

1

) make up the largest group in the Budapest collection (see the drawing below). All pieces are unprovenanced. connecting element Bull's-head hoop earring with simple Bull's-head hoop earring with complex connecting element (Inv. no.: 55.176) connecting element (Inv. no.: 55.158.1) STRUCTURE OF BULL'S-HEAD HOOP EARRINGS