Centurion Hoops

Roman military equipment was designed for protection, but it could also be remarkably visual.

Helmets were among the most distinctive pieces worn by soldiers and officers. Their metal surfaces could be shaped, reinforced and decorated, while crests and plumes transformed the silhouette of the wearer completely.

In surviving Roman sculpture and relief, soldiers are sometimes shown wearing helmets crowned with dramatic fan-like plumes.

These crests created height and movement above the head, turning military equipment into something immediately recognisable from a distance.

One surviving Roman relief from the Trajanic period depicts a legionary wearing an elaborately decorated helmet beneath a tall, richly carved plume. The ancient stone preserves the visual impact of a crest that would originally have been made from materials that rarely survive archaeologically.

Created exclusively for the British Museum’s Legion: life in the Roman army exhibition, the Centurion Hoops take inspiration from this striking feature of Roman military dress.

Instead of reproducing an entire helmet, the earrings isolate the sweeping form of the crest itself.

Repeated feather-like elements radiate around each golden hoop, creating a curved fan that recalls the plumes rising above Roman military helmets. The result is a jewel that transforms a symbol of military display into sculptural ornament.

The crest of Rome, reimagined in gold.