The Tudor Society

The Tudors and ear piercing

Thank you so much for Tudor Society member Lorna for inspiring today's Claire Chats video. In today's talk, I look at when ear piercing became fashionable in the Tudor period, the evidence we have on it and also ear piercing in men.

Here are galleries for you. Click on images to enlarge.

Elizabeth I wearing earrings:

Men wearing earrings:

Charles I's pearl earring:

Other English portraits of people wearing earrings:

Multiple piercings:

Sources and further reading

There are 7 comments Go To Comment

  1. E

    What a fascinating Claire chats! It is especially interesting to know how popular this was amongst the men! I have had a lovely time looking at the portraits in the picture gallery. The detail in the costumes and the earrings is so beautiful.

    1. C - Post Author

      I’m glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth, it was an interesting subject to look into.

  2. C

    I wonder how old people were when they had their ears pierced during the Tudor period? my grandmother was a baby but she was born in Egypt so it was a cultural thing at the time.

    1. K

      I don’t know about how old people were generally, but I did come across a portrait of a woman holding her child who appeared to be somewhere between perhaps eight and 12 getting her ears pierced by a lady in waiting

      1. S

        That portrait, called The First Earring, is by Sir David Wilkie, is in the Tate Gallery in London. It was painted 1834-5. https://www.tate-images.com/N00328-The-First-Ear-Ring.html

      2. S

        The portrait, by Sir David Wilkie, is called “The First Ear-Ring” and it hangs in the Tate Gallery in London. It was painted 1834-5. https://www.tate-images.com/preview.asp?item=N00328&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=1

  3. S

    Very interesting talk! I also noticed your own doubles pierced earlobes, and the piercings in your nose, tragus, and conch – which were particularly alluring while you gave the talk.

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The Tudors and ear piercing