Necklace
1947-48 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Flexible, ribbed tubes of gold had appeared in the late 1930s. They remained very fashionable for necklaces and bracelets throughout the 1940s. Made from interlocking angular links, they were known as ‘snakes’ or ‘gas-pipes’, depending on how they were constructed. Gold remained fashionable for gem-set jewellery. It had returned to prominence because of the wartime requisitioning of platinum for the armaments industry. In 1947, when this necklace was made, the purchase tax on new jewellery was set at 125 per cent. The Utility Standard for home use was 9-carat gold. The 18-carat gold of this necklace was possible only because it was commissioned by a client in Alexandria in Egypt.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | White and yellow gold, set with diamonds, sapphires and rubies |
| Brief description | White and yellow gold, set with diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Designed and made by Eyna Wolko Podolsky, England, 1947-8. |
| Physical description | Necklace made up of two hollow, flexible 'snake' chains. One chain of white gold and the other of yellow gold, joining into a clip fastening at one end and ending in two gold pine cone shaped drops surmounted by two collars, one of sapphires and the other of rubies at the other end. The two free-hanging chains run through an open scrolling band at the front, set with brilliant-cut diamonds bordered by a thin band of table-cut rubies on one side and of sapphires on the other. This part doubles as a clip which can be worn separately. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | EP (1) Makers's mark)
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| Object history | Paul Podolsky, the son of the maker, stated that in 1947, 18ct gold was possible only for export and that this necklace had been made for their client Abdul Maleek in Alexandria. |
| Production | This necklace was designed and made for Wartski's. |
| Summary | Flexible, ribbed tubes of gold had appeared in the late 1930s. They remained very fashionable for necklaces and bracelets throughout the 1940s. Made from interlocking angular links, they were known as ‘snakes’ or ‘gas-pipes’, depending on how they were constructed. Gold remained fashionable for gem-set jewellery. It had returned to prominence because of the wartime requisitioning of platinum for the armaments industry. In 1947, when this necklace was made, the purchase tax on new jewellery was set at 125 per cent. The Utility Standard for home use was 9-carat gold. The 18-carat gold of this necklace was possible only because it was commissioned by a client in Alexandria in Egypt. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Jewels and Jewellery' Clare Phillips, V&A Publications, 2000
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.29-1982 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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