The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-07-31
THE EARRING HAS A HISTORY.
Egyptian Kings Used to Wear This
Ornament.-Popular Now.

A curious instance of the survival
and revival of fashion which origi-
mated in the remotest times is the
earring. Worn by the Kings of Egypt,
and extremely popular among the la
dies of ancient Rome, it subsequently
lost favor until the gay days of the
Stuart period, after which it again
dropped out, and has now once more
regained popularity, says The London
Globe.
The very earliest mention of this
form of decoration is to be found in
the Book of Genesis. Jacob, it will be
remembered, on reaching Bethel bur-
led certain strange idols, among them
some earrings belonging to his fami-
ly. Doubtless these ornaments were
regarded purely in propitiatory
light is amulets or talismans, such
being still their principal Office in
the East today. That they are of
Eastern origin is certain, and among
Orientals, with the exceptian of
Greeks and Hebrews, it has always
been the custom for both sexes to
wear them, while frequently only
one ear was adorned. Among other
races, however, earrings were always
worn in pairs, and by the women on
ly.
Excavation has frequently brought
to light statues, Greek, Egyptian, AS
syrian and Etruscan to the ears of
which were attached rings of marvel
Gus beauty, and commonly of two dis
tinct types, the earlier one consisting
of two halves and decorated with
some animals head, as that of lion
or bull, the latter attached to the
ear by hook in the form of ro
sette, with numerous pendants bear
ing delicate figures-a tiny Victory
or Eros playing some musical instru-
ment. In course of time, and by a
natural process of fashion, the Greek
rings assumed such dimensions that
they could no longer be attached to
the ear lobe, but depended instead
from diadem or tress of hair.
In Egypt the earrings were of an
extremely simple character, often
merely ring shaped hook hung with
some symbolic pendant. They were
however, used only in sacred sense,
being worn by the sovereign on great
occasions, as may be judged from the
massive head upon the statue of Ram
eses II in the British Museum, in the
days of which holes are pierced. Won
derful workmanship is seen in the
earrings recovered from the tombs of
Greek settlers in the Crimea, while
the sepulchres of ancient Eturia
have yielded rings not unlike those
found in Greece, usually saddle shap-
ed or decorated with small enameled
figures of birds, such as cocks, swans,
geese, peacocks and doves. The Pho
nicians. we are told, used to pierce
the uper part as well as the lobes OF
their ears, inserting plain rings, from
which depended drop-shaped pen
dants or ornamental baskets of grain.
Rings were also attached to the hair
on each side of the head.
Simple enough, but of priceless val
ue were the pearl earrings worn by
Roman ladies. Pearls had been I'M
ported into Rome in large quantities
about the time of Sulla, and later
Pliny wrote: "They seek for pearls
at the bottom of the Red Sea and
search the bowels of the earth for
emeralds to decorate, their ears,
while Seneca thus picuantly refers to
the new fashion: THE extravagant
fools probably think their husbands
are not sufficiently plagued without
their having two or three heritages
hanging down from their ears" Ear
" BYZANTINE earrings followed the
Roman cast to large extent though
usually crescent shaped and richly
ornamented. Earrings were put 10
strange uses in those luxurious times,
for of Antonia, the wife of the Roman
Drusus, it is related that she attached
a. valuable pair to her pet lamprey.
Earrings were not particularly pop
ular among the Franks-at best they
amounted merely to ring OF plain
silver wire-and, indeed, we do not
again find them in favor until the
18th and 18th centuries, though they
seem to have been popular enough
with the ladies of William rs court.
During the renaissance period ear
rings were fairly popular on the con-
tinent, as is shown by several We'll
known portraits of that time. Later
on Queen Elizabeth was in the naOlt