Rosary
1800-1867 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
After the prolonged and destructive Thirty Years War of 1618-48, Europe split into a Catholic south and a Protestant north. The rosary, used to help make sure that prayers were said correctly, was banished from Protestant countries. In the south it was commonly worn as an ornament, as well as a declaration of Catholic identity.
The main purpose of this rosary must have been decorative, as it is far too fragile to have been used for counting prayers on a regular basis. The shape of the filigree cross, and crown above it, are typical of Italian rosaries. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
The main purpose of this rosary must have been decorative, as it is far too fragile to have been used for counting prayers on a regular basis. The shape of the filigree cross, and crown above it, are typical of Italian rosaries. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold chain with pearls and filigree rosettes |
| Brief description | Gold filigree and pearl rosary, Tuscany (Italy), 1800-1867. |
| Physical description | Rosary, consisting of nine decades with pendant cross. The rosary is made of gold chain with pearl beads, with filigree rosettes either side of the paternoster beads. The crown and cross are also made of gold filigree set with seed pearls. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | After the prolonged and destructive Thirty Years War of 1618-48, Europe split into a Catholic south and a Protestant north. The rosary, used to help make sure that prayers were said correctly, was banished from Protestant countries. In the south it was commonly worn as an ornament, as well as a declaration of Catholic identity. The main purpose of this rosary must have been decorative, as it is far too fragile to have been used for counting prayers on a regular basis. The shape of the filigree cross, and crown above it, are typical of Italian rosaries. It was bought 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 4 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 128-1868 |
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| Record created | October 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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