Boat-shaped gold earring

Between the 4th and the 1st centuries B.C., the goldsmiths from Taranto were particularly creative and they produced highly refined jewels of great decorative quality known as the famous “Gold artefacts from Taranto”(Ori di Taranto). Mostly found in tombs, placed there as items that would accompany the deceased, the jewels were generally personal belongings of the departed, used both in everyday life and on special occasions. Among the earrings, which were essential elements of the jewellery worn by the women from Taranto and therefore found in large numbers amongst funerary objects, are the boat-shaped earrings and their many different variations. The exceptional large item displayed at the MArTA presents a complex decoration obtained by using a filigree pattern, granulation and both knurled and smooth threads. The boat is embellished by pendants and elements in carved foil, such as, for instance, the winged female figures (Nikai) placed at the extremities of the boat.