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Necklace

Necklace

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    1650-1675 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Glass, over painted blue foil on silver with wax thread

  • Museum number:

    M.50-1967

  • Gallery location:

    Jewellery, room 91 mezzanine, case 81, shelf D1, box 7

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Each of the individual square panels of this necklace is set with a blue foil which has been painted with a symbol representing love or mortality.

These include a skull and crossbones; initials EJ beneath a coronet; a putto holding leaves; a cornucopia; two cherubs with a flaming heart; a skeleton on a tomb inscribed At Rest; a dolphin; an angel with two crosses; a crowned lion; a winged skull; a bull; the sun, moon and stars; a lyre and butterfly; flowers; clasped hands with a heart; a skull above a crown with inscriptions GLORIA and VANITAS; a putto with a lance; an elephant's head and trident; a sea animal in a shell.

Books of emblems and devices had been current since the Renaissance and such symbols were widely understood and used at the time.

Physical description

Necklace composed of glass, over blue foil, painted with devices in white, on silver backings strung with wax thread. The devices are: a skull and crossbones; initials EJ beneath a coronet; a putto holding leaves; a cornucopia; two cherubs with a flaming heart; a skeleton on a tomb inscribed At Rest; a dolphin; an angel with two crosses; a crowned lion; a winged skull; a bull; the sun, moon and stars; a lyre and butterfly; initials EJ beneath a coronet; flowers; clasped hands with a heart; a skull above a crown with inscriptions GLORIA and VANITAS; a putto with a lance; an elephant's head and trident; a sea animal in a shell.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

1650-1675 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Glass, over painted blue foil on silver with wax thread

Marks and inscriptions

'EJ'
'At Rest'
'GLORIA'
'VANITAS'

Dimensions

Height: 1.2 cm, Depth: 0.9 cm

Descriptive line

Necklace composed of glass, over blue foil, painted with devices in white, on silver backings strung on wax thread, England, 1650-1675

Materials

Silver; Glass; Thread; Foil

Techniques

Painting

Subjects depicted

Flowers; Leaves; Putti; Angels; Cross; Shell; Stars; Butterfly; Tombs; Sun; Moon; Mourning; Cornucopia; Hands; Elephants; Crowns (headdresses); Wings; Coronets (crowns); Lion (animal); Hearts (motifs); Flames; Skull (skeleton component); Dolphin (animal); Skeleton; Bulls (animal); Lyres; Sea creatures; Lances; Tridents

Categories

Metalwork; Jewellery; Death; Accessories

Collection code

MET

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Qr_O126179
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