5th‑6th Century Silla Dynasty Silver Granulated Spherical Ear Ornament with Dangling Leaf Pendants

拍品描述

Dimensions: Overall length approximately 9.5cm (3.74 inches), spherical body diameter approximately 3.8cm (1.50 inches), 5th‑6th century Condition & Provenance: Private collection from Pennsylvania. The ornament remains structurally intact with natural untouched verdigris and silver oxidation. The filigree and granulation patterns are clearly visible. Most of the dangling leaf‑shaped silver pendants survive, with only minor age‑related losses to a few small drops. No modern restoration or artificial cleaning Description: This elite Silla noble silver ear ornament was masterfully created using a combination of hammering, filigree and granulation techniques. The body is a plump hollow sphere entirely covered in intricate scrolling floral patterns formed from ultra‑fine twisted silver wire and countless tiny silver granules soldered in place—a testament to the pinnacle of Silla goldsmithing. Below the sphere, an openwork frame suspended by twisted silver rings holds more than a dozen freely swinging leaf‑shaped and circular silver pendants. When worn, the thin silver discs clink together with a delicate musical sound, serving both as ornamentation and as shamanic ritual objects believed to facilitate communication with the spirit world. Such high‑grade silver earrings were reserved exclusively for Silla royal and aristocratic women and have been excavated from elite tombs in the Gyeongju region. Fully preserved examples are extraordinarily scarce; nearly all are held in the National Museum of Korea. Intact examples on the private market are exceedingly rare and stand as precious physical evidence for the study of ancient Korean peninsula silver craftsmanship and Northeast Asian cultural exchange

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