Necklace
1750-1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Choker necklaces were originally worn, in both Austria and Switzerland, to hide the signs of goitre, a disfiguring disease caused by lack of iodine, which was endemic in the high Alps before the introduction of modern medicine.
In Switzerland these necklaces were usually made of loose chains of silver links, or beads imitating garnet or coral. The designs varied from valley to valley. This necklace is typical of eastern Switzerland. The small oval links are made from silver filigree, which gives it its Swiss name of Blättlikette, or chain of little leaves. Silver filigree is very common in Swiss traditional jewellery, and chains like this were hung over the apron and under the arms, as well as round the neck.
This necklace would originally have been tied round the neck of its owner with a black velvet ribbon threaded through the loops at each end.
In Switzerland these necklaces were usually made of loose chains of silver links, or beads imitating garnet or coral. The designs varied from valley to valley. This necklace is typical of eastern Switzerland. The small oval links are made from silver filigree, which gives it its Swiss name of Blättlikette, or chain of little leaves. Silver filigree is very common in Swiss traditional jewellery, and chains like this were hung over the apron and under the arms, as well as round the neck.
This necklace would originally have been tied round the neck of its owner with a black velvet ribbon threaded through the loops at each end.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Sheet silver and silver filigree |
| Brief description | Necklace of four rows of flat oval silver filigree links (Blättlikette), St Gall and Thurgau, (Switzerland), 1750-1800. |
| Physical description | Silver necklace of four rows of filigree links with a cast terminal at each end. The rows vary in length, consisting of 20, 21, 22 and 23 links respectively, so that they hang smoothly when worn. The terminals are trapezoid in shape and each has a slit at the outer end, which would have held a ribbon to fasten the necklace. |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | Choker necklaces were originally worn, in both Austria and Switzerland, to hide the signs of goitre, a disfiguring disease caused by lack of iodine, which was endemic in the high Alps before the introduction of modern medicine. In Switzerland these necklaces were usually made of loose chains of silver links, or beads imitating garnet or coral. The designs varied from valley to valley. This necklace is typical of eastern Switzerland. The small oval links are made from silver filigree, which gives it its Swiss name of Blättlikette, or chain of little leaves. Silver filigree is very common in Swiss traditional jewellery, and chains like this were hung over the apron and under the arms, as well as round the neck. This necklace would originally have been tied round the neck of its owner with a black velvet ribbon threaded through the loops at each end. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 189-1870 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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