Pair of tété négresse style gold earrings with yellow stones

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A pair of tété négresse style gold-colored earrings with fish hook clasps. Each earring is formed with four (4) consecutive circular layers that form a convex shape with the innermost layer being the pinnacle. This center layer is made from a single gold-colored metal bead that has a raised center nipple surrounded by a rounded cone with engraved stripes. The center bead is soldered to a second layer of five (5) gold-colored metal flower beads that have hollow centers with a single stamen protruding from the center. The layer is in turn soldered to the third layer, comprised of nine (9) of these same flower beads. The third layer is soldered to the fourth and outermost layer made from a ring of gold-colored metal resembling a ball chain, but with the back of this piece being flat.

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