Earring

Art Historical Context

This delicate gold-plated earring, dating to the 7th century or earlier, hails from Japan's Kofun period (. 300–710 CE), a time of profound cultural transformation marked by the rise of powerful clans and monumental keyhole-shaped burial mounds. Discovered among elite grave goods, such earrings were likely worn by high-status individuals, symbolizing wealth and social hierarchy in a society blending indigenous traditions with continental influences from Korea and China. Crafted with impressive metallurgical skill for its era, the earring's gold plating—achieved by applying a thin layer of pre...