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Clasp thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Clasp

1803-1823 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Although traditional jewellery was worn throughout Sweden, and has a distinct Swedish character, there are marked differences between the different provinces. Skåne province, in the extreme south of Sweden, has the richest tradition, and more jewellery was worn there than in any other district. Almost all the Swedish traditional jewellery at the V&A comes from Skåne.

A well-dressed woman from Skåne wore multiple pairs of silver clasps along the front edges of her outer clothes. Some of these were functional, and hooked into each other. Others were purely ornamental.

Heart-shaped clasps like these were originally worn as cloak clasps, but by the 19th century they had moved to the outer jacket, and were often purely decorative. This pair is marked with the maker's mark ET. This is probably the mark of Ernst Tengwall, a silversmith who worked in Helsingborg from 1803 to 1823.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Engraved silver
Brief description
Leaf-shaped two-part silver clasp with floral engraving, Skåne (Sweden), 1803-1823.
Physical description
Leaf-shaped two-part clasp made from sheet silver engraved with a floral pattern on the front. One part has a forward-facing hook attached at one end, and the other has a corresponding loop. There are three holes punched in the rim of each part.
Dimensions
  • Length: 6.0cm
  • Width: 2.6cm
  • Depth: 0.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
'E T' in rectangular frame. (On back of each part.)
Translation
Probably the mark of Ernst Tengwall, of Helsingborg.
Summary
Although traditional jewellery was worn throughout Sweden, and has a distinct Swedish character, there are marked differences between the different provinces. Skåne province, in the extreme south of Sweden, has the richest tradition, and more jewellery was worn there than in any other district. Almost all the Swedish traditional jewellery at the V&A comes from Skåne.

A well-dressed woman from Skåne wore multiple pairs of silver clasps along the front edges of her outer clothes. Some of these were functional, and hooked into each other. Others were purely ornamental.

Heart-shaped clasps like these were originally worn as cloak clasps, but by the 19th century they had moved to the outer jacket, and were often purely decorative. This pair is marked with the maker's mark ET. This is probably the mark of Ernst Tengwall, a silversmith who worked in Helsingborg from 1803 to 1823.
Collection
Accession number
444-1886

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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