Zendaya Now Faces Backlash Over Ancient Iranian Earrings

Fans slam Zendaya for wearing looted ancient historical artifacts to a movie premiere.

Red Carpet Fashion Controversies Essay

Zendaya was at the center of a huge controversy after a promotional photoshoot in London. The Hollywood actress, who starred in the film The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan, appeared in a white dress by the brand Jacquemus.

However, her earrings made of Iranian gold metalwork caused worldwide condemnation. The story tells about how the star found herself in a strained position and why she opted for such a controversial look for the red carpet.

The History Behind the Controversial Jewelry

The earrings that belong to ancient gold metalwork have a rather dubious history. This legendary treasure is also known as the Ziwiye Hoard, and it dates back to the first millennium BC. More than 3,000 years ago, this collection of gold coins and jewelry was buried somewhere in Northwest Iran.

Ziwiye treasure was classified as one of the most famous Medieval masterpieces of ancient Iranian art. In the 40s of the last century, this historical find was unearthed by private treasure hunters, so it was not archaeologists who retrieved the gold items.

Ziwiye hoard was divided between several investors, so the pieces of ancient Iranian jewelry started circulating in numerous commercial auctions.

Why Historians and Bloggers Expressed Disapproval

When bloggers saw photos from the promotional photoshoot in London, the Ziwiye treasure controversy flared up on social media. Some users expressed disapproval of how Zendaya wore the ancient Iranian artifact on the red carpet.

Historians and social media users pointed out that it would be wrong to use the Ziwiye treasure for the film’s publicity and commercial promotion. In addition, the historians stated that not only did the star wear looted cultural property, but she actually popularized it by drawing public attention to it.

The essence of the problem was that the valuable jewelry was treated more like a fashion accessory than a unique historical artifact with a rich past. In reality, the Ziwiye treasure should have been exhibited and stored in climate-controlled vaults inside museum safes.

What Went Wrong with the Fashion Method Dressing?

The method of dressing, when stars wear clothes related to the films they are promoting, became incredibly popular recently. It seems like the idea of using gold medieval jewelry for the film about ancient history was the ultimate implementation of the concept.

The Ziwiye treasure was presented to the actress by an antique jewelry dealer, and then the metalwork was decorated with diamonds by a luxury jeweler. Such openness, resourcefulness, and willingness to invest are characteristic of the fashion industry.

Nevertheless, society reacted with surprise, if not outright condemnation, to the idea of putting ancient Iranian gold coins on the red carpet.

How International Politics Influenced the Issue

The issue of the cultural wealth of Iran is rather sensitive, so Iranian bloggers were quick to criticize the star for wearing the Ziwiye treasure.

For political reasons, the ancient artifacts of Iran are currently inaccessible to Iranians, which is why the local bloggers reacted with particular anger to the news of the red carpet incident.

The foreign critics mentioned the irony of historical fate that the wealth of the ancient civilization was presented by a foreign celebrity in a promotional campaign.

The essence of this political controversy is that, for the Iranian bloggers, the history of the Ziwiye treasure is being abused once again to undermine the rich cultural heritage of Iran and to promote Hollywood films.

Conclusion

The fashion industry has learned a vivid lesson about method dressing that has now become a heated ethical discussion.

The incident with Zendaya and the Ziwiye treasure should teach stylists and jewelry producers in the Hollywood movie business that there are some limits that should never be crossed. When it comes to the protection of historical artifacts, the public debate usually revolves around the issue of plundering.

However, in reality, society needs to take a step back and develop a list of ethical rules about what should and should not be done with the historical artifacts of foreign cultures.

The fact that the Ziwiye treasure has been lost in private collections means that the entire world should work to protect this ancient artifact from further deterioration on the red carpet.