Pendant
1750-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
On her wedding day a Norwegian bride wore more jewellery than at any other time in her life. If she did not have enough of her own, she borrowed from friends or relations. Some of this jewellery was also worn later, on Sundays and feast days, but some pieces, like the bridal pendant, were only worn at the marriage.
The circular bridal pendant, on a long chain, was worn throughout Norway. It had many names. It was sometimes called an Agnus Dei, as the image of the Lamb of God appeared on many of them. It was also often called a brudedaler, or bridal dollar, because many were made from old silver coins. This pendant looks like a coin, but is made from a medallion bearing a picture on both sides of St. John the Baptist, and his cousin Jesus, as children. St John leads a lamb and carries a pennant, both symbols of the Lamb of God.
The circular bridal pendant, on a long chain, was worn throughout Norway. It had many names. It was sometimes called an Agnus Dei, as the image of the Lamb of God appeared on many of them. It was also often called a brudedaler, or bridal dollar, because many were made from old silver coins. This pendant looks like a coin, but is made from a medallion bearing a picture on both sides of St. John the Baptist, and his cousin Jesus, as children. St John leads a lamb and carries a pennant, both symbols of the Lamb of God.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast silver-gilt |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt medallion of St. John the Baptist with Christ, with dish pendants, Norway, 1750-1850. |
| Physical description | Heavy cast silver-gilt medallion with the same picture on each side, of St. John the Baptist and Christ as children, with the inscription 'IOHANNES ET CHRISTUS' round the rim. The rim of the medallion looks like tightly-wound wire. There is a loop of twisted wire attached at the top, and three similar loops along the lower edge. The top loop has two links of chain threaded through it, and the lower loops each have a dish-shaped pendant. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | IOHANNES ET CHRISTUS. (Inscribed around the rim) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs. A.E. Gunter |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | On her wedding day a Norwegian bride wore more jewellery than at any other time in her life. If she did not have enough of her own, she borrowed from friends or relations. Some of this jewellery was also worn later, on Sundays and feast days, but some pieces, like the bridal pendant, were only worn at the marriage. The circular bridal pendant, on a long chain, was worn throughout Norway. It had many names. It was sometimes called an Agnus Dei, as the image of the Lamb of God appeared on many of them. It was also often called a brudedaler, or bridal dollar, because many were made from old silver coins. This pendant looks like a coin, but is made from a medallion bearing a picture on both sides of St. John the Baptist, and his cousin Jesus, as children. St John leads a lamb and carries a pennant, both symbols of the Lamb of God. |
| Bibliographic reference | Berge, Rikard. Norskt bondesylv. Risør, Forlagt av Erik Gunleikson, 1925.
Reprinted Oslo, 1975, and Skien, Fylkesmuseet, 1997. ISBN 8290692218. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.55-1939 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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