Zendaya Draws Backlash for Wearing 3,000-Year-Old Iranian Gold Discs as Earrings
Updated
Updated · Hyperallergic · Jul 17
Zendaya Draws Backlash for Wearing 3,000-Year-Old Iranian Gold Discs as Earrings
3 articles · Updated · Hyperallergic · Jul 17
Summary
Archaeologists led the backlash after Zendaya wore 3,000-year-old Iranian gold discs, remounted in 18-karat gold and diamonds, at a London photocall for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Critics said turning the discs into red-carpet jewelry commodified and exoticized cultural artifacts, while the Forensic Archive of Iran launched a petition demanding transparency about their provenance.
Barron London identified them as Ziwiye gold medallion plaques from 1st-millennium-BC Iran, linking them to a 1947 hoard whose objects largely entered the market through dealers after looting disrupted excavation.
The dispute widened because Zendaya wore them during ongoing US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and because scholars say repurposing ancient objects into luxury goods destroys archaeological context and can mask potentially looted origins.
Can a 3,000-year-old artifact ever be ethically worn as fashion?
When ancient artifacts become luxury jewelry, what history is erased forever?
What can stop the art market from dismantling history for profit?
From Ziwiye to London: Zendaya’s Ancient Earrings and the New Debate Over Cultural Heritage in Fashion
Overview
Zendaya's appearance at The Odyssey London premiere on July 17, 2026, wearing 3,000-year-old Iranian gold disc earrings, quickly sparked widespread backlash on social media. The ancient earrings overshadowed her carefully styled look and led to accusations of insensitivity, with some users calling her a repeat offender due to a previous controversy involving a private jet-flown gown. This incident not only fueled debates about cultural appropriation and ethical fashion but also highlighted concerns over the provenance and responsible use of historical artifacts in celebrity culture, pushing for greater transparency and accountability in the luxury industry.