Cross
1800-1867 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Like Catholic women elsewhere in southern Europe they often wore elaborate crosses as jewellery.
The tiny loop at the top shows that this cross was originally part of an elaborate pendant, hanging down almost to the waist. The design of these pendants was based on a stomacher, which was a fashionable piece of jewellery among the upper classes throughout Europe in the 18th century. But the detail and execution of this piece are uniquely Italian. Crosses like this were worn with traditional costume throughout northern and central Italy, often with matching earrings.
It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
The tiny loop at the top shows that this cross was originally part of an elaborate pendant, hanging down almost to the waist. The design of these pendants was based on a stomacher, which was a fashionable piece of jewellery among the upper classes throughout Europe in the 18th century. But the detail and execution of this piece are uniquely Italian. Crosses like this were worn with traditional costume throughout northern and central Italy, often with matching earrings.
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 | Sheet gold set with garnets |
| Brief description | Gold pendant cross set with garnets, Parma (Italy), 1800-1867. |
| Physical description | Pendant cross of sheet gold, decorated with applied wire and set with six large flat-cut garnets in conical mounts, with four smaller between them. This was originally the lowest part of a five-part pendant. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Diagonal cross, with central vertical stem with oval above, in oval frame. (On front, at extreme left.) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Like Catholic women elsewhere in southern Europe they often wore elaborate crosses as jewellery. The tiny loop at the top shows that this cross was originally part of an elaborate pendant, hanging down almost to the waist. The design of these pendants was based on a stomacher, which was a fashionable piece of jewellery among the upper classes throughout Europe in the 18th century. But the detail and execution of this piece are uniquely Italian. Crosses like this were worn with traditional costume throughout northern and central Italy, often with matching earrings. 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 2 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 320-1868 |
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| Record created | October 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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