As ubiquitous as red lipstick or the plain white t-shirt, the subtle sheen of a Gold hoop earring can be seen glowing from the ears of many women, wherever you are. In fact, Gold hoops big and small didn’t just become a cultural phenomenon over night. Revealing an extensive history, Gold hoops are more than just a piece of jewellery, they have become an entrenched symbol of womanhood, oppression and freedom, an accessory of resistance and reclamation.
Earrings are one of the oldest forms of human adornment. For almost as long as we’ve been roaming this earth, we’ve been poking holes in our ears and sticking things in them. There are references to earrings in the Bible, the world’s oldest mummified body had its ear pierced (so did King Tut), and some of the earliest evidence of earrings can be traced back to 9th century BC, or around 10,000 years ago. They were worn all over the world by men and women alike. (And by cats in Egypt, too.)
Like any form of fashion, earrings have always been both decorative and symbolic in their use. They could represent wealth and power, affiliation to a certain social or ethnic group, as well as the wearer’s age and marital status. Arguably the greatest power that earrings possess, though, is the ability to make the person wearing them look good - no matter who they are, where they lived, or when. They frame the face and bring out the eyes; what better purpose could earlobes serve than to host them?
The Ancient Roots of Hoop Earrings
In fact, archeological findings have found that Gold hoops resonated with women thousands of years ago, and were worn by a plethora of ancient societies and civilisations. Archaeological evidence has found Gold hoop earrings in ancient frescos and tombs in as early as the ancient Sumerians 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia, which today is the regions of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. This evidence shows that this society was incredibly sophisticated for its time, thriving upon arts and culture.
Both specialist jewellery and ancient historians surmise that the ancient Sumerians had exceptionally skilled jewellers creating pieces from 4 precious metals and encrusting jewellery with gemstones. It is believed that both men and women in ancient Egyptian royalty wore hoop earrings, including Nefertiti, Hatsheput, Tutankhamen and Cleopatra. For the Egyptians, wearing Gold earrings were incredibly symbolic.
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To them, Gold represented the warmth and light of the sun, believed to the literal flesh of their ancient Gods and deities. The circular shape of hoop earrings also possessed powerful symbolic potency. This visceral belief meant that, of course, both royalty and religious members wore Gold hoop earrings to keep them closer to the God’s and nature. Plus, this philosophical and religious way of viewing jewellery translated to many paganistic ancient societies.
In ancient Roman and Greek societies Gold hoop earrings flourished also. Ancient Greek Gold hoop earrings were both plain and ornate, with some shaped as lion’s and ram’s heads. Like the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Greeks saw these earrings as a way for them to express their devotion to the Gods. In fact, it is believed that they actually hung pendants from the earring hoop to pay homage and respect to their Gods.
Gold hoops were also integral to the cultures and civilisations of South Asia. By 2000 BCE traders were moving back and forth between the ports of India, Sumer and Egypt, and there were established trading ports between India, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Elaborate and ornate Gold hoop earrings were intrinsic to both tribal and temple jewellery in these countries. Ornamentation at every part of the body was custom for worshippers and temple dancers, with statuettes of Gods adorned with glittering jewels. Today, this custom still remains. Although Gold hoops are now also worn as a fashion choice as well as one of worship and respect.
The 4th century Nubian civilisation has also contributed to the popularity and status of hoop earrings. The Nubians and Egyptians had strong trade links, which led to many overlaps in their jewellery. Gold jewellery itself was considered to be sacred, and there were many pieces that were enamelled and encrusted with rare gemstones. The Gold hoop earrings that are central to Nubian culture were actually worn thrice on one ear!
Ancient Egyptian Gold Hoop Earrings
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The Renaissance to the 19th Century
In the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, many men wore small singular Gold hoop earrings, especially amongst sea-voyagers, which has contributed to the stereotypical costumes of pirates. It was believed that men who wore these earrings had an adventurous and unconventional disposition.
During the 18th century and the 19th century, although Gold hoop earrings were a fashionable item, other earrings styles like the pendeloque, drop and dormeuse were more popular. This is because of the introduction of Paste gems, fashions and new jewellery techniques. So, Gold hoop earrings took a step back.
Etruscan revival and Archaeological revival jewellery was the emergence of neoclassical designs and techniques that were popular in ancient societies. These pieces were crafted from high carat gold and included gemstones that were popular in ancient jewellery. The reason as to why these periods were favoured were due to the highly publicised archeological discoveries made by the British empire. This also saw a resurgence of Egyptian revival and Renaissance Holbein-esque pieces. Therefore, the Gold hooped earrings with granulated and filigree details became commonplace amongst the most fashionable of society yet again!
The 20th Century: A Pivotal Moment
It wasn’t until the 20th century that hoop earrings really had their moment again. The 1920’s were the pivotal moment in which Gold hooped earrings started to become the popular accessory which we see today. We believe that this was due to a variety of factors. An exemplary portrayal of this is the legendary Vanity Fair photoshoot with Josephine Baker in 1929. The famous dancer’s silhouette is enhanced by the natural chiaroscuro of 1920’s and 1930’s photography, but here you can see the faint outline of large hooped earrings.
It is believed that the jewellery she was wearing around her neck and suspended from her earlobes was created by Jean Dunand who was inspired by the strong geometry in African textiles. Another reason as to why Gold hooped earrings were incredibly popular during the Art Deco period was because they were emblematic of freedom, and were the perfect complement to the short bobbed hairstyles that were in vogue at the time.
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As mentioned above, Gold hoop earrings became the cult timeless accessory that we recognise today from the 1970s. It is no secret that the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s had huge cultural impact, and within each century Gold hoop earrings shifted amongst different communities. The urban nightlife scene in the 1970’s drastically changed club culture, and large oversized Gold hoop earrings swung from the earlobes of many partygoers. Most importantly, these iconographic dance and music scenes were popularised by African American, Hispanic and Latin American communities.
Josephine Baker wearing hoop earrings, 1929
Cultural Appropriation and the Modern Debate
From the 1970’s onwards Gold hoops started to be a target for internalised racist attitudes and anxieties surrounding race, with beliefs that those who wore them were “ghetto”, a derogatory classist and racist term. This is why, when Gold earrings started to be worn by white women and “reinvented” by white designers as trendy, Gold hooped earrings became a target for cultural appropriation debates.
Cultural appropriation is one of the most contested issues within the fashion industry today. It is where one culture adopts elements of another culture, yet it is controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from disadvantaged minority cultures. There have been many recent articles written about Gold hoops as a charged example of cultural appropriation.
This debate reached fever point in March 2017 when at Pitzer College, the message “White girls, take off your hoops” was spray painted on the side of a dormitory. This is further substantiated by Sandra E.Garcia who wrote in the New York Times article Why Can’t I Quit You Hoops: “Gold hoops - thick, wide, bamboo-style, small or thin, were an extension of our sass, our style and us… I felt that wearing large hoops would make me seem too loud, too visible, too ghetto, too black” and Bianca Nieves in Refinery 29 “As a Puerto Rican born in the states who grew up in Puerto Rico, there was was certain way I perceived women who wore Gold hoop earrings, influenced by everything from school to the media.
Within these communities reclaiming their hoops, Gold hoop earrings have become a charged accessory for activism, symbolising strong women and a surging political voice across the globe. This does beg the question though, can you still wear Gold hoops if you aren’t from or within these communities? Every person will have their own opinion on this matter. It is clear that, in some cases like afros and native american headdresses that these should not be worn by other people outside of these cultures as they are so inherent, and especially in the latter they possess strong spiritual and religious significance.
It is important to be aware of these cultural conversations surrounding dress and jewellery, so we can appreciate and learn from the past and recognise how these pieces are particularly important to some cultural identities.
Highlighting the history of African American jewelry and how it ties in with the historical experiences with African Americans in the United States. Since slavery to the present, African Americans use of jewelry is a means of expression, resistance, cultural preservation, and celebration.
Hoop earrings are deep-rooted in communities of colour and streetwear culture. Unfortunately, not everyone who wears the style acknowledge its significant cultural past and the people it originated from. The style first dates as far back to the 4th century in Africa. For some they were worn for protection and others a symbol of wealth.
During slavery, hoop earrings were the only jewels that slaves were allowed to wear. The popularity for hoops arose especially during the 60’s among African-American women. This was the period of the emergence of the Black Power movement. The trend continued into the 70s thanks to disco divas such as Diana Ross. During the 80s they became larger in size taking the nickname door knockers. In early 2000s hoops became thinner and bigger. Popular RNB and pop singers wear them. The opposite trend are huggies which are smaller and cuffing the earlobe.
Fashion is inspired by different cultures, however, the issue arises when some women of colour face discrimination for choosing to wear hoops. Non-POCs who wear this style should do so mindfully and educate others on the meaningful discourse and importance regarding race. Hoops as a stylistic choice worn by women of colour should be respected. Today hoops can suite anyone.
THE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY OF BAMBOO EARRINGS | A DEEP DIVE
The Bamboo Earring: A Symbol of Black Culture
It seems as if bamboo earrings have been a staple in Black culture ever since LL Cool J proclaimed that he wanted a girl with “extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings, at least two pair” in his 1990 hit, Around The Way Girl. Around 2500 B.C.E, the Nubia civilization, located in what is now present-day Northern Sudan, was the first to rock the hoop earring. It was afterward adopted by the ancient Egyptians.
Unfortunately, the definition of beauty started to reshape in the 1600 B.C. era, which caused a dramatic decline in the adornment of ear jewelry; leaving room for the rise of elaborate hairstyles and other jewelry forms. It was in the 1980s that we saw the first renditions of the bold, statement-making, door-knocker earring that we've come to know as bamboos. They were sold in beauty supply stores in urban areas across America for just a few dollars and became an instant favorite amongst women of color.
Since then, the bamboo earring has evolved into a multitude of styles - from heart-shaped to hollowed triangles. Some even include jewels or custom name plating. Regardless of the style, the bamboo earring has remained a prominent jewelry staple for good reason. It represents a powerful symbol of ancient African civilization, with deep-rooted connections to Hip Hop culture and music.
For years, bamboo and oversized hoop earrings, have been ridiculed as “gaudy” or “ghetto” by those outside of Black and Latinx culture. Proudly wearing them out and about has largely become an act of activism to the average woman of color. Non-Black celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian, high fashion brands like Givenchy, and even fictional characters like Sex And The City’s Carrie Bradshaw have all taken their swing at appropriating the style. The Bamboo earring will always belong to Black culture.
Bamboo Earrings and Cultural Significance
Black Jewelers: A History Revealed
Erica Euse: Who Owns Hoop Earrings? I am beyond excited to introduce the first installment of a brand-new series, Black Jewelers: A History Revealed, that will document the lives of African American artists of the past who have made important contributions to the field of art jewelry. I discovered jewelry through my work on the Susan Grant Lewin Collection, at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.
Since then, I have been interested in looking for new ways that we in the jewelry world could expand our knowledge of the figures in the past who have shaped our world today. In this series, we will explore the various stories of different Black artists who were involved in jewelry. Some were full-time jewelry designers, others multidisciplinary artists, and still others came from the art and fashion worlds.
It is a pleasure to see the inauguration of Black Jewelers: A History Revealed coincide with Black History Month, a time dedicated to the important deeds of Black Americans and the path forward to securing Black equality and recognition in America. While we take this month to remember all the important African American individuals who contributed their skills and their resilience to the creation of a more perfect union, it is also a moment to reflect on the creativity and inspiration that Black voices have also brought to art and design, including in the field of jewelry.
Yet, in addition to being a moment of reflection, it is also important that we start a conversation of not relegating the celebration of Black history to only one month, but to start taking the steps to incorporate this history into the fabric of mainstream American history. Black Americans are not only important to the month of February.
This series will examine the artistic works in copper of Winifred Mason, who worked during the Harlem Renaissance to design pieces for jazz greats such as Billie Holiday. We will also view works by artists who used more unorthodox materials, like C. Edgar Patience, who designed works using black coal and had famous clients as renowned as President Lyndon B. Johnson. Some prominent jewelry designers worked in fashion.
Bill Smith’s designs graced the covers of Vogue magazine and Harper’s Bazaar in the 60s and 70s, modeled by celebrities such as Twiggy and Cher. Patrick Kelly, known for his bold and flashy fashion of the 80s, also had a connection to jewelry in the bold pins that were iconic to his brand. We will look at artists both known and unknown in the art world, from the infamous Betye Saar to her lesser known but equally important friend the enamel artist Curtis Tann. We’ll explore the commercially successful works of Coreen Simpson and the culturally creative ones of Vaughn Stubbs.
How does one recover a past that has been nearly forgotten? How does one bring back memories of the lives and successes of major figures in the jewelry world that have been lost in the yellowing pages of old directories and fashion magazines? How does one, especially, accomplish this task for a group of people who have historically been left out of the main narrative when it comes to discussing metalsmiths of the 20th century?
These were the first questions that came to mind a year ago when I began this project. It was during this period of social reckoning that I began my research in collaboration with The Jewelry Library, in New York. I sought to excavate how much the Black community contributed to the world of jewelry design and in what ways their work was-or wasn’t-recognized in the larger fabric of American society.
Yet the more I searched for sources and information about many of these extraordinary designers, the more the challenges and complications of the task became clear. At the moment there are no major texts that specifically explore the history of Black art jewelry. Many of the books that discussed Black craft in the past went out of print years ago. Very few major publications or journals profiled Black artists or jewelers in the past, and many stories of their successes were relegated to Black-owned magazines, which were few and far in between.
In addition, many pieces or works by artists, or any photographic evidence of their existence, have been lost. Yet despite the difficulty of recovering this history, I discovered a wondrous world that existed under the surface, one filled with legendary stories of camaraderie and creative excellence during times of struggle and of social change. I uncovered mentions of metalsmiths and craftspeople of the late 19th century who had just broken out of their chains of slavery to break into a different world, one in which they established their identity through craft.
I found stories of jewelry designers who rubbed elbows with some of the greats of the Harlem Renaissance and contributed their skills to a flourishing period of African American artistic exploration. I also read tales of artists exploring new avenues of success with feelings of liberation after the civil rights movement. And I glimpsed the future of Black jewelry by exploring the contemporary conversations of today.
I compiled the research on each of these individuals by perusing newspapers and magazines that profiled these artists or recorded important events in their lives or careers. Other artists had examples of their work documented in leading fashion magazines and advertisements at the height of their fame. In addition, I located some stories in university archives via oral histories collected from living artists.
By bringing these tales to the readers of Art Jewelry Forum, this series aims to act as a catalyst to correct the misdeeds of history done to these individuals who, through their hard work and dedication, worked to make names for themselves across the field of metalsmithing. With this research, I want to reveal the lives of amazing artists and designers to a more general public and start a process of communication that will uncover more stories and research on these people who have been ignored for so long.
Modern Earrings in the 21st Century
Earrings have long been a staple in the world of fashion, transcending cultures, and eras. In the 21st century, they continue to be a powerful form of self-expression and a prominent fashion accessory for both women and men. This enduring popularity is reflected in the evolving designs and the rich symbolic meanings they carry. "Women should never go without earrings. Passing on them is an opportunity missed."
In contemporary fashion, earrings have transcended traditional gender norms, becoming a popular accessory for men. This resurgence can be attributed to several factors, including evolving cultural perceptions, celebrity influence, and the broader acceptance of diverse expressions of masculinity. While the trend may seem modern, men wearing earrings is not a new phenomenon. Historically, earrings have been worn by men in various cultures for centuries. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Persia, earrings symbolised wealth and status.
During the Renaissance period, prominent figures like William Shakespeare and Francis Drake were often depicted with earrings, showcasing their status and style.
Table: Historical Timeline of Earrings
| Time Period | Civilization/Culture | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 3000-1200 BC | Minoan Civilization | Early use of gold, silver, and bronze earrings as body decorations. |
| Ancient Egypt | Royalty and Religious Members | Gold earrings symbolized the warmth and light of the sun, connection to Gods. |
| Ancient Greece | Greek Society | Expression of devotion to the Gods; ornate designs featuring lion's and ram's heads. |
| 4th Century | Nubian Civilization | Sacred gold jewelry, often worn thrice on one ear. |
| Renaissance Period | European Society | Men and women wore earrings; symbolic for sailors. |
| 1960s | Black Community | Symbol of heritage and pride during the Black Power movement. |
| 21st Century | Global | Powerful form of self-expression; evolving designs for men and women. |
