Pendant
1800-1870 (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. This led to a massive expansion in the use of religious imagery in the Catholic area. Coins with religious motifs were set in pendants as amulets, and pilgrims bought pendants and other souvenirs showing the relevant saint at the numerous pilgrimage sites in the region.
St. George was particularly popular in the south German region, and his image was frequently carried by soldiers to protect against sudden death. The heart and acorns added to the spiritual qualities of the pendant. The little acorn pendants are very common in the area. They had dual Christian and amuletic meaning, as a sign of fecundity and immortality.
St. George was particularly popular in the south German region, and his image was frequently carried by soldiers to protect against sudden death. The heart and acorns added to the spiritual qualities of the pendant. The little acorn pendants are very common in the area. They had dual Christian and amuletic meaning, as a sign of fecundity and immortality.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt and silver |
| Brief description | Silver pendant, partly gilded, with St George killing the dragon, South Germany, 1800-1870. |
| Physical description | Oval cast silver pendant with a pierced gilded image of St George killing the dragon in the centre. There are stylised ribbons above and below. The pendant hangs by two chains from a stamped gilded rosette. A further chain is looped across the lower edge of the pendant, supporting three gilded acorns. There is a gilded heart between the pendant and the rosette, in the space between the two chains. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | '13'. (On front of pendant, on top left of rim.)
|
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | After the prolonged and destructive Thirty Years War of 1618-48, Europe split into a Catholic south and a Protestant north. This led to a massive expansion in the use of religious imagery in the Catholic area. Coins with religious motifs were set in pendants as amulets, and pilgrims bought pendants and other souvenirs showing the relevant saint at the numerous pilgrimage sites in the region. St. George was particularly popular in the south German region, and his image was frequently carried by soldiers to protect against sudden death. The heart and acorns added to the spiritual qualities of the pendant. The little acorn pendants are very common in the area. They had dual Christian and amuletic meaning, as a sign of fecundity and immortality. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 105-1872 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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