Featured Who or what are these carved coral earrings tops? And other questions..

I recently had repairs done to these Victorian period carved coral and 14K earrings: where there are pearls now there were originally smaller carved coral urns and one ear wire had broken off at the top. Height is 2 1/4" and width is 13/16".

I have a few questions for the savvy folks here:

The faces have grape leaves on top of the heads and ram's horns on the sides. The leaves make me think of Bacchus and his followers. What's with the ram horns? I see they are used in decorative pieces depicting Bacchus/ Dionysos but I can' find the origin story.

The carved horizontal bars are decorative and support the drops but I don't think they depict an object/animal. What do y'all think?

The bar/urn/pearls drop detach. So, I have heard of dormeuse earrings, day/night earrings and removable drops so travelers would not flaunt their valuables when on long trips in unfamiliar territory. Are any of these terms/concepts appropriate?

And, finally, I'm looking to narrow down age. One ear wire is original, another is a very close replica. Do those or the subject/material
help narrow down to a particular decade or two?

Thanks so much!

 

Aren't they fancy! Etruscan revival?

 

Similars.

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/ear...tique-cameo-coral-gold-earrings/id-j_1486673/

https://www.kentshire.com/products/victorian-carved-coral-angel-earrings

http://www.uchizono.gallery/2012/08/victorian-coral-bacchantes-earrings.html

Debora

 

There's a good bit of crossover between imagery for Pan & imagery for Dionysus & his 'revel rout'. Fauns, satyrs & Silenus are not wholly human members of the rout.


(Silenus is the one on his ass, in both senses.)

Maybe you have the Dragon Quest one:

https://dragonquest.fandom.com/wiki/Silenus

I would call them day/night or convertible. Fortunately most people would not now feel the need to be able to simplify them for protection against robbery.

They feel fairly new. Or are they just clean?

 

How Fan-Tas-Tic they are!
Silenus, satyr is my vote.

Hum... What I see is typical satyr's attributes on both sides of the bars
Night and day is appropriate

 

Gorgeous, Curioser.
Did you consider adding coral dangles, or couldn't you find the right colour?

Dutch coral sellers often have their new Mediterranean coral bleached in Italy to resemble "old Dutch" coral, the prefered colour overhere.

Ditto. "Simple" during the day, long pendants at night. People of means used to dress up for dinner, and you would certainly need long ear pendants for a night out.

 

At first glans, I didn't notice. But now I can't unsee it.

 

I'm giggling!

Debora

 

With piercings.

 

OUCH.......!!!

 

LOL

I did see it & tried to put it out of my mind immediately. But then, I feel that way about the Amazon logo.

 

I never saw it in that light, but I do now.

 

Oh - I hadn't noticed that explanation. The pearls just complete the effect.

@Curioser is now going to stash these things, never to be seen again.

 

Oh God. Now I can't unsee that.

 

My Cuban great aunt who was a bawdy old gal and n absolute HOOT would have loved those !

 

No guy could have gotten away with wearing those - advertising!

 

Thanks for your input. I should give the background, they are antique, that's why I was interested inn narrowing down the age to a decade or two. Each earring when new had a small urn where the pearls are now. One was lost and there was no way to get a copy or match by purchasing one and I don't know anyone who could carve one (or who would do so for a price I could afford). A great goldsmith copied the good ear wire to make a dupe and we agreed pearls would be acceptable as replacements. Of the 3 removed small urns, two were made into simple drop earrings with gold ball wire tops.
Now, re: the Silenus of Dragon Quest, I think that if there were a connection the earrings would have a much larger interested audience. Alas, they are about 150 years too old to pass.

 

@kyratango, re your comment: What I see is typical satyr's attributes on both sides of the bars...I appreciate your thoroughness in identifying the "supporting attributes" of the bars' end, but I think I will omit that when describing the carvings.

 

OH GOOD. I saw that immediately for what they were and wasn't sure if I should say anything.

Personally, I would wear them ALL the time, and anytime someone mentioned them I'd immediately tell them what they were.......but I hang around artists and film makers so baudiness is expected.

I love a good saytr motif, second only to centaurs. Also want a good fascinus pendant. Very jealous of Curioser's good find!

 

I thought I might mention that the bottom carving is not an urn, but amphora...what you sell and store wine in. Completing the Bacchus/satyr theme.