Pendant
ca. 1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A variety of hardstones and shell were used to make cameos. The cameo here is a carved bloodstone which, with onyx, sardonyx and carnelian, were the most popular of the hardstones.
The colourful and flamboyant jewellery of the 1820s and 1830s could be set with up to a dozen different stones within a rich gold and coloured gold framework. Special manufacturing techniques and decorative effects were used to achieve an expensive finish using smaller amounts of gold. Although lightly made, this opulent jewellery looked heavier than earlier Neo-classical work.
The highly ornate filigree work of spirals (cannetille) and granules (grainti) added an appealing relief texture, but it was more popular on mainland Europe than in England, where clients preferred more substantial areas of plain gold.
The colourful and flamboyant jewellery of the 1820s and 1830s could be set with up to a dozen different stones within a rich gold and coloured gold framework. Special manufacturing techniques and decorative effects were used to achieve an expensive finish using smaller amounts of gold. Although lightly made, this opulent jewellery looked heavier than earlier Neo-classical work.
The highly ornate filigree work of spirals (cannetille) and granules (grainti) added an appealing relief texture, but it was more popular on mainland Europe than in England, where clients preferred more substantial areas of plain gold.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Bloodstone and gold |
| Brief description | Pendant, a bloodstone cameo head of Christ with the Virgin Mary on the reverse, France (Paris), ca. 1840. |
| Physical description | Pendant, a bloodstone cameo head of Christ; reverse: the Virgin Mary; set in gold frame with cannetille (wire spiral) ornament. The gold mount with the Paris warranty mark for 1838 onwards. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Paris warranty mark for 1838 to 1847 (On the gold mount.) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs Harriet Bolckow |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A variety of hardstones and shell were used to make cameos. The cameo here is a carved bloodstone which, with onyx, sardonyx and carnelian, were the most popular of the hardstones. The colourful and flamboyant jewellery of the 1820s and 1830s could be set with up to a dozen different stones within a rich gold and coloured gold framework. Special manufacturing techniques and decorative effects were used to achieve an expensive finish using smaller amounts of gold. Although lightly made, this opulent jewellery looked heavier than earlier Neo-classical work. The highly ornate filigree work of spirals (cannetille) and granules (grainti) added an appealing relief texture, but it was more popular on mainland Europe than in England, where clients preferred more substantial areas of plain gold. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 738-1890 |
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| Record created | August 3, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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