Silver temple ring

The silver earring comes from a hoard discovered in 1859 during fieldworks in Kurów, Koszalin district. Hidden in the clay vessel were silver coins and ornaments from the late 10th century. The earrings are used as accessories worn on the head, and they are usually found in graves and hoards. It can be assumed that they were worn like contemporary earrings, or they were attached to bands worn on the temples, as well as headscarves – much like temple rings. They were usually made of silver, rarely of bronze. Gold earrings have not been discovered to date. They consist of a ring made of wire, ornamented or devoid of any decoration, as well as a decorative lower part. In the case of the earring from Kurów, it is a semicircular piece of metal, with decorative chains attached to its lower edge, with thin plates shaped into elongated rhombuses hanging from them. In other decorations of their kind, the decorative elements include various kinds of beads, buttons and pendants, often precisely adorned with filigree wires and silver granules forming attractive patterns. The differences in the way earrings were worn are indicated by the ends of the wires that form the ring. A thick wire with blunt ends, or one blunt and the other with a clasp, suggests that the ornament may have been attached to a head covering. A ring made of thinner wire, sharpened on one side and with a clasp on the other side enabled the wearer to use it like modern earrings.

Ewa Górkiewicz-Bucka