Zendaya attends a photo call for the film "Odyssey" in London on July 5. [Getty Images]
Zendaya attends a photo call for the film "Odyssey" in London on July 5. [Getty Images]

Hollywood actor Zendaya has stirred controversy after wearing earrings made from ancient gold ornaments dating back roughly 3,000 years at a promotional event for her new film "Odyssey."

According to People magazine and other outlets, Zendaya appeared at a photo call for director Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey" in London on July 5 wearing earrings crafted from Iranian gold circular ornaments estimated to date to around 1000 B.C.

The earrings were created by London jeweler Glenn Spiro as part of his "Materials from the Ancient World" collection. Spiro incorporated 18-karat gold and diamonds into ancient Iranian gold ornaments engraved with sun motifs, reimagining them as contemporary jewelry.

Following the event, criticism mounted from some quarters over Zendaya's decision to wear what they described as ancient Iranian artifacts with a disputed provenance. The gold ornaments are said to be part of a collection known as the Ziwiye hoard, discovered in 1947 at a site outside Ziwiye Castle in Iran's Kurdistan province.

Peter Edwell, an associate professor of history and archaeology at Macquarie University, said the items Zendaya wore "appear to come from a hoard of treasure found at Ziwiye in Iran in the late 1940s," adding that the hoard "was not excavated properly but was looted and dispersed among private individuals and public institutions."

Edwell added that the situation was "clearly a serious problem," describing artifact smuggling as "a sophisticated, multi-layered international criminal activity involving criminal organizations."

Zirrار Ali, a London-based specialist in Islamic history and art, also called Zendaya's wearing of the earrings "offensive." He said their appearance was particularly inappropriate given the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.

In response to the backlash, Barron London, which holds the earrings, said in a statement that it "welcomes informed conversation about provenance, conservation and exceptional craftsmanship." The firm added that it hoped the earrings would "serve as a reminder of Britain's enduring artistic, cultural and historical heritage."


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