Pendant thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Pendant

1750-1799 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Religious pendants, called Deli, were common in all the Catholic cantons of Switzerland. In central Switzerland they consisted of a double-sided pendant with pictures of saints or other Christian symbols on each side. The name Deli may derive from the Latin words Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) which was a common theme, or from the French word médaille, or medallion. They were worn by women, hung from a black velvet ribbon round the neck.

Although some feature profane pictures, the vast majority, like this one, have two religious images. On one side of this pendant is the image of St Catherine holding a broken wheel, the symbol of her martyrdom, and a martyr’s palm. On the other is another saint, holding a pen.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver-gilt filigree with reverse-painted glass
Brief description
Silver-gilt filigree religious pendant (Trachtendeli) with pictures of saints, Solothurn (Switzerland), 1750-1799.
Physical description
Pendant consisting of a filigree bow with a two-sided oval medallion hanging from it, with an oval filigree bead at the bottom. The medallion has an image of St. Catherine on one side, reverse-painted on glass, and an unidentified female martyr on the other.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.3cm
  • Width: 4.2cm
  • Depth: 1.4cm
Historical context
Described as from 'Lucerne and Schwytz' in register.
Subject depicted
Summary
Religious pendants, called Deli, were common in all the Catholic cantons of Switzerland. In central Switzerland they consisted of a double-sided pendant with pictures of saints or other Christian symbols on each side. The name Deli may derive from the Latin words Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) which was a common theme, or from the French word médaille, or medallion. They were worn by women, hung from a black velvet ribbon round the neck.

Although some feature profane pictures, the vast majority, like this one, have two religious images. On one side of this pendant is the image of St Catherine holding a broken wheel, the symbol of her martyrdom, and a martyr’s palm. On the other is another saint, holding a pen.
Collection
Accession number
174-1870

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 4, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest