Roman Dolphin Earrings, Gold

Small Roman Dolphin Earrings, Gold

The earrings are made to match the dolphin pendants. Decorated in Roman trumpet ornamentation, the earrings each have a diameter of about 24 mm.

Inspired by an original find that was auctioned at the Munich auction house Gorny & Mosch, I made this adorable little pendant. The privately owned original was ment to be used as a decorative disc on a sword belt (balteus), but I would suppose another use as a furniture fitting due to the mounting holes. The original was reduced by me to an appealing size of approx. 24 mm and is therefore wonderfully filigree. The three dolphins are surrounded by tendrils that appear like ocean waves. The triple circular arrangement of the dolphins is reminiscent of a luck spending Celtic Triskele, whose motif became very popular in the late 2nd century in the course of a renaissance of Celtic art in the Roman Empire. A relation with the three dimensional trumpet ornament from the Antonine period also comes to mind.
 

Roman dolphin earrings

Even in ancient Greece, dolphins were considered as exceptional sea creatures, which appear in many myths and legends. While helping rescued shipwrecked people such as the poet Arion of Lesbos from drowning, they also served as messengers and mounts for the sea god Poseidon. Apollo also turned into a dolphin to guide travelers to his sanctuary in Delphi. The god of love Eros is also shown riding on a dolphin on numerous mosaics and frescoes and statues. A special relationship with Aphrodite, born out of the sea, is obvious. Dolphins were a good omen for seafarers and fishermen and were symbols of prudence, beauty, intelligence, love, joie de vivre and artistic creativity. Even then, dolphins had a special place in people's hearts and were related to the world of the gods.
The number three is found in the well-known motif of the Celtic Triskele and seems to have been seen as a divine lucky number since then. In addition to the omnipresent cycle of birth, heyday and decline, there is also a reference to the supernatural in many religions and beliefs. In the Celts there were three-faced deities, in the Teutons the three Norns who determined the fate of men. In Christianity we find the Trinity and in popular belief sayings like "All good things come in threes". Spitting out three times is supposed to bring good luck as well as knocking three times on wood. Even in ancient times, the number three was likely associated with a special symbolism.