A pair of Greek gold Pomegranate Drops, Hellenistic Period, 3rd - 1st century BCE

A delicate pair of ancient Greek gold pomegranate pendants, each modeled as a miniature spherical fruit with a small projecting calyx. Dating to the Hellenistic period, the pendants reflect the enduring popularity of botanical motifs in Greek jewelry, where natural forms were rendered in precious metals and invested with symbolic meaning. The ancient pomegranates have been mounted as elegant drop earrings with modern 14K gold chains and ear wires, preserving their original character while allowing them to be worn.

Pomegranates appeared frequently in Greek art, religious offerings, and personal adornment. During the Hellenistic period, goldsmiths produced miniature fruit pendants and other botanical ornaments, combining naturalistic forms with the refinement characteristic of Greek jewelry. Worn as personal adornments, these small gold pomegranates carried associations of prosperity, renewal, and divine protection, giving them a significance beyond their decorative appeal.

Exhibited: Odyssey of an Art Collector, New Orleans Museum of Art (formerly Delgado Museum of Art), New Orleans, Louisiana, 1966 (part). 

Medium: Gold

Dimensions: Pomegranate length: 1/4 inch (0.63 cm). Earring drop length: 2 inches (5.08 cm)

Condition: Intact and in very condition overall. Strung for wearing with modern 14K gold ear wires.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Elizabeth “Mimi” Stafford (1928–2018), New York and New Orleans, thereafter in a private Connecticut collection (part). Collection History: Elizabeth “Mimi” Stafford (1928–2018) was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. While working for the U.S. State Department in Germany, she met her future husband in France. The couple lived in Paris from 1961 to 1976 before settling in New York, assembling a distinguished art collection. In 1966, they lent their collection to the Delgado Museum of Art in New Orleans for the exhibition Odyssey of an Art Collector, organized to raise funds following hurricane devastation.

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