Bracelet thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Bracelet

ca. 1870 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The design for these hinged bracelets is based on bracelets in the Campana collection in the Louvre, Paris. The Louvre bracelets are made of individual panels, some of which are authentic Etruscan a baule earrings of about 600–450 BC that have been hammered flat. These were then mixed with modern plaques in the Etruscan style, and made into bracelets in the second half of the 19th century, perhaps made up for the Marchese Campana, before the Castellani family saw his collection.

The Castellain copies do not reproduce the originals exactly but are inspired by the so called "ancient" models. From these and other adaptions of the bracelet type by Giacinto Melillo of Naples a new form of archaeological style jewellery was invented and popularised.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, hinged panels with applied wire and granulated decoration
Brief description
Hinged bracelet, Italy, about 1860-80; made by Castellani. Gold, with filigree and granulation
Physical description
Etruscan-style bracelet with hinged panels. Applied wire and granulated decoration. Signed with the monogram 'AC' in applied wire, for Alessandro Castellani.

Design adapted from 'ancient' bracelets, part of the Campana collection now in the Louvre, Paris. The Louvre bracelets are made of authentic Etruscan a baule earrings of about 600-450 BC hammered flat mixed with modern plaques in the Etruscan style, made into a bracelet in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Acquired from the collection of Alessandro Castellani
Dimensions
  • Length: 19.7cm
  • Width: 2.4cm
  • Depth: 0.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
Signed with the monogram 'AC' in applied wire, for Alessandro Castellani.
Object history
Castellani Jewellery RF.2003/302
Louvre Exhibition RF.2004/722
Subjects depicted
Summary
The design for these hinged bracelets is based on bracelets in the Campana collection in the Louvre, Paris. The Louvre bracelets are made of individual panels, some of which are authentic Etruscan a baule earrings of about 600–450 BC that have been hammered flat. These were then mixed with modern plaques in the Etruscan style, and made into bracelets in the second half of the 19th century, perhaps made up for the Marchese Campana, before the Castellani family saw his collection.

The Castellain copies do not reproduce the originals exactly but are inspired by the so called "ancient" models. From these and other adaptions of the bracelet type by Giacinto Melillo of Naples a new form of archaeological style jewellery was invented and popularised.
Associated object
635-1884 (Set)
Collection
Accession number
634-1884

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Record createdSeptember 23, 2004
Record URL
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