Pair of Ear Pendants with Design of Lotus Petals

Created from solid gold, these three-tiered ear pendants feature delicate attachments in the shape of lotus petals. Works like these were part of the elite burial practices of the Unified Silla dynasty. At their deaths, members of the royal family and other nobles were interred in elaborate mound structures, often alongside jewelry, swords, and treasures such as the crown from the Hwangnam Daechong Tomb, a Korean national treasure. Earrings were some of the most frequently found items in these tombs, and they were also likely worn by aristocratic women and men during their lifetimes.