Zendaya has faced criticism after wearing a pair of ancient Iranian artefact earrings during the promotional tour for Christopher Nolan’s film *The Odyssey*. The actress, who portrays the goddess Athena in the movie, wore gold earrings made from discs believed to date back to around 700 BC, possibly as old as the original Homeric *Odyssey*, which historians estimate was composed in the 8th century BC.
The earrings are attributed to the Ziwiye hoard, a collection of gold, silver, bronze, and terracotta objects discovered in north-western Iran in the late 1940s. The hoard has a complex history; many pieces were reportedly looted and sold in antique markets outside Iran in the 1960s, and the surviving items are now dispersed among museums and private collections worldwide. The earrings worn by Zendaya were obtained by Barron London, a Mayfair-based gallery, from London jeweller Glenn Spiro in 2025. Barron London stated that the loan of the jewellery was intended to honor the craftsmanship of ancient Persian goldsmiths and promote broader appreciation of Iran’s cultural and artistic legacy.
Despite this, the use of the earrings sparked swift backlash from archaeologists and cultural historians. Professor Sussan Babaie, an Iranian-born art historian affiliated with the Courtauld Institute, described the decision as “shocking” and expressed outrage that such culturally significant and spiritually meaningful objects were used purely as fashion accessories. Babaie warned that the display risked appropriating and flattening Iran’s rich cultural heritage, stripping the earrings of their historical significance and meaning. She also highlighted the timing of the event, noting the irony of celebrating Iranian antiquities amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and military conflicts involving the country, which threaten its cultural heritage sites.
Some experts provided a different perspective. Archaeologist Ann elise Baer, who gained attention on social media for videos discussing the earrings, emphasized that the core ethical issue centered on the earrings’ origin as looted antiquities, rather than their display by Zendaya herself. Baer suggested that the actress wearing the earrings at a high-profile event brought renewed public attention to the provenance and ethical considerations surrounding such artefacts.
Barron London defended the gallery’s role, asserting that the earrings are “responsibly stewarded” in line with documented legal and provenance standards. The gallery emphasized that the loan was not commercially motivated but aimed to celebrate the accomplishments of ancient Persian artisans.
The controversy contributes to ongoing debates about the ownership, display, and ethical use of ancient artefacts, especially those linked to contested histories of looting and colonial acquisition. It also underscores broader discussions about how cultural heritage is represented and respected in contemporary contexts such as celebrity fashion and global media events.