A Brief Connection Between Shakespeare And Leverback Earrings

Researching connections between the modern fashion world and the entertainment industry people will often point to the motion picture industry as a major mover and shaker in this realm. Something that is seen on the big screen for the first time at a Friday night opening often becomes the hottest sought after piece of clothing or fashion accessory on Monday morning.

However, there is nothing new under the sun to paraphrase William Shakespeare and that is exactly where one can go to find an excellent example of how costume jewelry can become a mainstay item in the everyday word. A specific accessory to keep in mind is the leverback earring.

Leverback earrings are a rounded piece of metal with a small hook on the back that hold the ring, loop, pendant, jewel or even feather in place on the ear with pressure after being snapped into place. Examples of leverback earrings can be traced back through antiquity in royal tombs and pyramids.

The functionality of such an item is easy to see when considering the rapid and multiple costume changes that actors had to make during those times. Costume jewelry had to sometimes be a little larger than life if it was to be seen from the back row of a theatre. Larger heavier pieces could wear down or tare a pierced ear and nothing ruins a dramatic scene quicker than a piece of a costume falling to the stage floor with a thud.

In Elizabethan England only men were allowed to perform on stage. In a small production a young boy or young man might have to switch from a male to female role between scenes several times during a performance. The ease of operation of leverback earrings would make for effective but believable costume changes. In a setting where the audience was sometimes even known to sit on the edge of the stage if there were no more seats left an up close and personal view of the actual gender of the actors could be helped along with dangling and sparkling jewels. Again, what may have been seen on an opening night at Shakespeare’s The Globe theatre would most assuredly be a sought after item the following day, provided of course the play was a success. There are not many known instances where a play by Shakespeare was not a success.


For other sites related to leverback earrings, check out these articles:Clip On Earrings | Magnetic Earrings | Fake Earrings | William Shakespeare