Pendant Cross
1800-1867 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Women in Catholic countries, such as Italy, commonly wore crosses and other religious objects as jewellery with their traditional dress. These were often made of filigree, which was considered synonymous with traditional jewellery of all kinds in the 19th century.
This cross is made of silver-gilt filigree, in a style which is typical of north-eastern Italy, particularly the region around Venice. The front of the cross opens, so that the owner could place a small piece of material of religious significance, such as a fragment of a priest's vestment, inside it.
It comes from the Marches, and was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
This cross is made of silver-gilt filigree, in a style which is typical of north-eastern Italy, particularly the region around Venice. The front of the cross opens, so that the owner could place a small piece of material of religious significance, such as a fragment of a priest's vestment, inside it.
It comes from the Marches, and was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt filigree |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt filigree pendant cross, The Marches (Italy), 1800-1867. |
| Physical description | Open filigree pendant in the shape of a rectangular hollow Latin cross. The front of the cross is hinged at the top so that it can be opened. There are filigree flames in the angles of the cross, and similar decoration at the ends of the arms. The filigree has been broken off at the end of each arm, except the top one. There is a suspension ring at the top of the cross made of zigzag wire, the end of which extends half way down the back of the cross. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Castellani Jewellery Exhibition RF.2003/302 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Women in Catholic countries, such as Italy, commonly wore crosses and other religious objects as jewellery with their traditional dress. These were often made of filigree, which was considered synonymous with traditional jewellery of all kinds in the 19th century. This cross is made of silver-gilt filigree, in a style which is typical of north-eastern Italy, particularly the region around Venice. The front of the cross opens, so that the owner could place a small piece of material of religious significance, such as a fragment of a priest's vestment, inside it. It comes from the Marches, and was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 3
'Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry', Soros, Susan Weber and Walker, Stefanie, Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, New York, 2004, p.255 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 74-1868 |
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| Record created | May 17, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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