Pendant
ca. 1890 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Ancient beads, scarabs and engraved gemstones from excavations were an essential element of jewellery made in the archaeological style. Mounted in gold, they were widely set in necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings or rings.
However not all the scarabs and carved gems used in nineteenth-century jewellery were genuine ancient finds. The Roman jeweller Augusto Castellani commented in 1862 that the high price of ancient scarabs ‘impelled the moderns to counterfeit them. And they so perfected this trade that the most experienced eye can barely discover the deception’.
However not all the scarabs and carved gems used in nineteenth-century jewellery were genuine ancient finds. The Roman jeweller Augusto Castellani commented in 1862 that the high price of ancient scarabs ‘impelled the moderns to counterfeit them. And they so perfected this trade that the most experienced eye can barely discover the deception’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, carnelian |
| Brief description | Gold pendant with carnelian scarab, Tiffany, New York, about 1890 |
| Physical description | Pendant with carnelian scarab |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Patricia V. Goldstein |
| Summary | Ancient beads, scarabs and engraved gemstones from excavations were an essential element of jewellery made in the archaeological style. Mounted in gold, they were widely set in necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings or rings. However not all the scarabs and carved gems used in nineteenth-century jewellery were genuine ancient finds. The Roman jeweller Augusto Castellani commented in 1862 that the high price of ancient scarabs ‘impelled the moderns to counterfeit them. And they so perfected this trade that the most experienced eye can barely discover the deception’. |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.175:1-2007 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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