Why Zendaya's earrings made of ancient Iranian artifacts sparked outrage
What's the story
Hollywood actor Zendaya has come under fire for wearing earrings made from Iranian artifacts dating back to 700BC during the press tour of Christopher Nolan's latest film, The Odyssey. The backlash has been led by archeologists who have slammed the use of such culturally significant artifacts as accessories in a Hollywood film promotion. Iranian-born art historian and Courtauld Institute professor, Prof Sussan Babaie, called it a "hijacking, flattening and transforming [ancient Iran's] cultural contributions to humanity."
Artifact details
Earrings were part of Ziwiye hoard discovered in 1940s
The earrings in question are from Barron London, a gallery and dealer based in Mayfair.
They were purchased from another London jeweler, Glenn Spiro, in 2025.
A statement from Barron said the artifacts "are attributed to the Ziwiye hoard, discovered in north-western Iran in the late 1940s."
This hoard was a collection of gold, silver, bronze and terracotta items found by shepherds and subsequently sold in antique markets outside Iran during the 1960s.
Expert opinion
Archeologists, historians slam use of artifacts as accessories
Babaie expressed her "outrage" over Zendaya wearing the ancient objects.
She said: "There is not enough cultural knowledge and cultural sensibility among those who dress [celebrities], those who accessorize them."
Dr. Annelise Baer, an archeologist and producer whose video about Zendaya's earrings sparked criticism for allegedly endorsing the use of the artifacts, said the main ethical issue was that "the earrings themselves are made out of looted antiquities."
Additional criticism
Press tour timing adds to controversy
The controversy is further exacerbated by the timing of The Odyssey press tour, which Babaie described as "glamourising the antiquities of Iran...just as billions of American dollars are being used to bomb Iran," destroying sites of cultural and historical interest.
In its statement, Barron added that the intention behind lending the earrings was never commercial, but rather to celebrate ancient Persian goldsmiths' artistry and to encourage wider appreciation for one of the world's great artistic traditions.
Location controversy
'The Odyssey' has also faced criticism for other reasons
The Odyssey has also faced criticism for its filming location.
Sahrawi filmmakers called for a boycott of the movie over its use of Dakhla in occupied Western Sahara, a region under Moroccan control often referred to as "Africa's last colony."