Earring
1832-1867 (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. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. The red stones in this earring are probably only glass, backed with red foil to make them look like rubies. Goldsmiths in the south of Italy also made lavish use of seed pearls, which were abundant in the warm waters of the Mediterranean before the industrial age. They attached the seed pearls with thin gold wires. When these broke, as they frequently did, the pearls were lost.
All Italian women wore gold earrings. Their shapes varied widely in different places. This earring comes from Pozzuoli in Campania, but earrings of this type were made and worn throughout southern Italy. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. At the top of the wire there is a small loop, through which the wearer threaded a ribbon, to help relieve the strain on the ear-lobe.
All Italian women wore gold earrings. Their shapes varied widely in different places. This earring comes from Pozzuoli in Campania, but earrings of this type were made and worn throughout southern Italy. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. At the top of the wire there is a small loop, through which the wearer threaded a ribbon, to help relieve the strain on the ear-lobe.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Sheet gold set with pearls, seed pearls and red pastes |
Brief description | Large gold earring, set with seed pearls and pastes, southern Italy, 1832-1867. |
Physical description | Large girandole earring decorated all over with seed pearls surrounding high conical mounts set with red stones. Each conical mount has a twisted rope of seed pearls round its base, surrounded by a ring of wired pearls, each surrounded by a rope of seed pearls. Outside these are two concentric rings of seed pearls fastened individually by vertical wires. Between the conical mounts there are strings of threaded seed pearls. There is a small tab on the top edge of the top disc, and at the base of each of the three pendants (one tab missing). Hinged wire at back, with loop at top. |
Dimensions |
|
Marks and inscriptions | Woman's head between the characters 'N' and '6' in a rectangular frame. (On the side of the wire; on the tab at the top of the disc; and on tabs on two of the pendants (the third tab is missing).)
|
Summary | Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. The red stones in this earring are probably only glass, backed with red foil to make them look like rubies. Goldsmiths in the south of Italy also made lavish use of seed pearls, which were abundant in the warm waters of the Mediterranean before the industrial age. They attached the seed pearls with thin gold wires. When these broke, as they frequently did, the pearls were lost. All Italian women wore gold earrings. Their shapes varied widely in different places. This earring comes from Pozzuoli in Campania, but earrings of this type were made and worn throughout southern Italy. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. At the top of the wire there is a small loop, through which the wearer threaded a ribbon, to help relieve the strain on the ear-lobe. |
Bibliographic reference | 'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 10
Published in
Percival, MacIver, 'Chats on old jewellery and trinkets', T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1912, p.181, fig. 4 |
Collection | |
Accession number | 236-1868 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | April 3, 2009 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest