Necklace
1800-1867 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The production of coral jewellery was a major industry in the south of Italy from prehistoric times. Tourists loved to buy coral jewellery in fashionable shapes, but it was also very popular with Italian women, who valued it for its colour and amuletic qualities. They believed that red was the most effective colour. Coral branches were often left in a natural state for amulets, but beads for necklaces were always shaped in the 19th century.
This necklace comes from Genoa, in the north of Italy, where the use of coral for protective reasons was not as universal as in the south. The addition of white coral beads suggests that the main purpose of the necklace was decorative. The pendant dagger may be purely decorative as well, although hair pins with heads shaped like daggers and swords were an essential part of the marriage ceremony in many places in northern Italy.
This necklace was bought for £1 8s as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
This necklace comes from Genoa, in the north of Italy, where the use of coral for protective reasons was not as universal as in the south. The addition of white coral beads suggests that the main purpose of the necklace was decorative. The pendant dagger may be purely decorative as well, although hair pins with heads shaped like daggers and swords were an essential part of the marriage ceremony in many places in northern Italy.
This necklace was bought for £1 8s as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Red and white coral bead necklace with silver-gilt pendant set with red coral and malachite cabochons |
| Brief description | Red and white coral necklace with silver-gilt dagger pendant, Genoa (Italy), 1800-1867. |
| Physical description | Necklace of alternating tubular white and red coral beads, interspersed with round white coral beads. Pendant of a silver-gilt brooch in the shape of a dagger, set with coral and malachite cabochons. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The production of coral jewellery was a major industry in the south of Italy from prehistoric times. Tourists loved to buy coral jewellery in fashionable shapes, but it was also very popular with Italian women, who valued it for its colour and amuletic qualities. They believed that red was the most effective colour. Coral branches were often left in a natural state for amulets, but beads for necklaces were always shaped in the 19th century. This necklace comes from Genoa, in the north of Italy, where the use of coral for protective reasons was not as universal as in the south. The addition of white coral beads suggests that the main purpose of the necklace was decorative. The pendant dagger may be purely decorative as well, although hair pins with heads shaped like daggers and swords were an essential part of the marriage ceremony in many places in northern Italy. This necklace was bought for £1 8s as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 1 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 389-1868 |
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| Record created | October 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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