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The earring pendants are hollow boats decorated with braided filigree and granulated triangles. On the horns of the boats, a row of granules and spiral wrapped wire precedes duck-shaped finials and long hoops. From loops soldered on the body of the boats dangle eight or ten loop-in-loop chains with duck-shaped pendants. These, like the finials, are formed of two stamped halves, with granules along the seam and forming the eye.
Boat-shaped earrings begin appearing in Scythian graves from the fifth century, after ties had been established with the Greek colonies along the Black Sea. The type was especially popular in the fourth centu ry, and a number of distinct variations are known. A pair similar to this one was found in Novosilky, Kurhar 4, in Cherkas'ka Oblast'.
Compared to their Greek prototypes these earrings are larger and heavier, and the pendants are of exaggerated length and number. When worn the earrings would have responded to the Scythian predilection for movement and sound. This pair was found in the burial of a Scythian woman, along with a splendid gold necklace and a headdress richly decorated with gold plaques.
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