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A second set of most skilled designs for pendants and earrings

Print
1582
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

After Hans Collaert’s death in October of 1580, his sons and his publisher, Philips Galle, produced two more sets of engravings after his designs for jewellery. This is the second one, published in 1582, and is comprised of ten prints including the title page. Though it represents the last of Hans’ publications, it is also the first dated plates engraved by his son Adriaen, who would continue to an illustrious engraving and publishing career of his own. Each image shows a pendant in the shape of a sea creature and topped with humans, dieties or merpeople. The pendants dangle from delicate ribbon work and are each hung with three pearls. It is possible that the bodies of the sea creatures themselveves were made out of baroque pearls. Baroque pearls were famous for their irregular shapes and were prized in the early modern world as the basis for elaborate jewellery designs such as the ones seen in the Collaert series.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleA second set of most skilled designs for pendants and earrings (series title)
Materials and techniques
engraving
Brief description
Hans Collaert (after), One print from a suite of ten, including title plate, showing jewellery in the shape of sea creatures. Flemish, 1582.
Physical description
Design for a pendatn in the shape of a sea monster carrying on its back Neptune with a trident seated on a shell, and a male and female nude carrying bullrushes.
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.7cm (cut to )
  • Width: 9cm (cut to )
Object history
For an example of a baroque pearl pendant contemporary to these designs, see M537-1910 in the V&A collection. For an example of a sea-creature pendant similar and contemporary to this design, see 44.443 in the Walter’s Art Museum collection. For complete a edition of this series, see E2203-1911 through E2212-1911 in the V&A collection. (F. Allitt)
Subject depicted
Summary
After Hans Collaert’s death in October of 1580, his sons and his publisher, Philips Galle, produced two more sets of engravings after his designs for jewellery. This is the second one, published in 1582, and is comprised of ten prints including the title page. Though it represents the last of Hans’ publications, it is also the first dated plates engraved by his son Adriaen, who would continue to an illustrious engraving and publishing career of his own. Each image shows a pendant in the shape of a sea creature and topped with humans, dieties or merpeople. The pendants dangle from delicate ribbon work and are each hung with three pearls. It is possible that the bodies of the sea creatures themselveves were made out of baroque pearls. Baroque pearls were famous for their irregular shapes and were prized in the early modern world as the basis for elaborate jewellery designs such as the ones seen in the Collaert series.
Collection
Accession number
22785:1

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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