Editor’s Note
This article examines the controversy surrounding Zendaya’s choice of ancient-style gold jewelry at a promotional event for Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey*, highlighting debates over cultural appropriation and historical sensitivity.
Zendaya finds herself in a hot-seat controversy over a gold jewelry piece at the Los Angeles promotional event for Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” The Hollywood star wore ear clips from a famous jewelry brand as she stepped out in a white dress by luxury brand Jacquemus.
Zendaya made her appearance in a white dress and gold jewelry in London. The actress stunned the crowd as she walked in an elegant white Jacquemus dress with ancient gold medallions as earrings. The unearthed treasure dates back to the first millennium BC, making it more than 3,000 years old. The Ziwiye treasure is an amazing ancient collection of gold jewelry, dated to the Median period, and found in northwest Iran in the 1940s.
The medallions were incorporated into modern jewelry, with Glen Spiro, a UK-based jewelry designer, organizing the collection of ancient artifacts called Materials of the Old World. Glen created the pieces for his jewelry brand, but they were purchased by a luxury jewelry label. According to the company’s release, the claw-setting technique did not harm the ancient treasures in any way.
The luxury jewelry house faced backlash over the use of ancient artifacts for the creation of fashion jewelry. Nevertheless, the brand defended the concept, stating that it wanted to pay tribute to Iran’s ancient artistic and cultural legacy. According to the release, the hijacked piece of art was used to showcase the country’s long-standing status as a civilization.
Social media users were quick to react to the news about Zendaya’s gold jewelry. The users started discussing the controversial decision of the fashion house to exhibit ancient artifacts as fashion items. The actress’s stylist, Law Roach, was accused of not respecting the history and the cultural heritage of Iran. Still, some netizens admitted that the Ziwiye treasure jewelry as a tribute to ancient Iranian history was a genius move.
Moreover, the choice of Zendaya’s jewelry in the promotional event for Nolan’s “The Odyssey” was not random at all. The actress stars as the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, Athena, in the film. Therefore, as the controversy around the gold earrings continues on social media, the actress once again demonstrates how modern fashion, history, and movie business are closely intertwined.