A fine Near Eastern earring featuring a delicately modelled gold bead, adorned with multiple lines of gold granules which run across its body. Gold beads, like this fine example, would have been a part of elaborate larger pieces, such as on necklaces or bracelets in the area of Western Asia. As in many ancient societies, jewellery signified wealth and social status. These styles were at the centre of Near Eastern and Western Asiatic jewellery production and were later adopted by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans. Measurements: Circa H 2.1cm x W 1.0cm (including suspension loop) Weight: 1.65g Provenance: Ex Japanese private collection, deceased, 1970-2010.