South Indian, 15th-16th century AD. A pair of gold earrings formed from a flat rectangular piece of gold with the bust of a goddess, possibly Meenakshi Amman, wearing a conical crown with large earrings; to the back strip tapers to a point and twists to the ends. 7.97 grams total, 32mm (1 1/4") Property of a North West London gentleman; formerly with a central London gallery in 1990. Meenakshi is a popular goddess whose principle temple is located at Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The recorded history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BC, being mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to India, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links dating back to 300BC. The temple city is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her husband Sundareswarar, a local form of Shiva. Though the present temple was built between 1623 and 1655 AD It is said that the temple was actually built in the 6th century BC. It is one of the major pilgrimage sites of Hinduism and an important centre for Tamil art and culture. [2]

Very fine condition.