Stel oorhangers c. 1824 - 1838

These gold 'Stel oorhangers' or pendant earrings were crafted by Guillaume Louis Ploem. Jewellery holds a unique position as both a personal adornment and a display of wealth and status, deeply entangled with socio-economic hierarchies. In the late 18th century, when Ploem was active, sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what, reinforcing class distinctions through material culture. Consider how these earrings might have been perceived and worn. Were they a symbol of aspiration, worn by someone seeking to emulate the elite? Or were they worn as a display of power? The earrings don't just sit on the earlobe; they represent the weight of societal expectations. The detailed craftsmanship invites us to reflect on the hands that made them, the bodies that wore them, and the complex narratives of identity and desire they embody.