Pendant
1650-1750 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
In the 17th century, new ways of cutting gems, particularly diamonds, led to a new style of jewellery throughout Europe, in which the gems themselves had greater prominence. This cross pendant, made from sheet gold cut in a delicate openwork pattern resembling filigree and set with facetted diamonds in raised settings, is typical of that trend.
It would originally have been worn on a ribbon round the neck, but a hook has been added at some later period so that it could be hung from a necklace or chain. At the same time a brooch fitting was added to the cross at the bottom. This would have prevented the cross from falling about while being worn. The cross is attached by a hinge to the body of the pendant, so it could not have been detached and worn separately.
It would originally have been worn on a ribbon round the neck, but a hook has been added at some later period so that it could be hung from a necklace or chain. At the same time a brooch fitting was added to the cross at the bottom. This would have prevented the cross from falling about while being worn. The cross is attached by a hinge to the body of the pendant, so it could not have been detached and worn separately.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Rose-cut diamonds set in gold |
Brief description | Three-part gold cross pendant set with rose-cut diamonds, Portugal, 1650-1750. |
Physical description | Gold three-part openwork pendant ending in a cross. Each part is set with rose-cut diamonds in closed settings. There are two vertical bars, at slight angles to each other, on the back of the top part. An additional hook has been added to the back of the top part, and there are traces of an added pin fitting on the back of the cross. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Bought from Child & Child. |
Summary | In the 17th century, new ways of cutting gems, particularly diamonds, led to a new style of jewellery throughout Europe, in which the gems themselves had greater prominence. This cross pendant, made from sheet gold cut in a delicate openwork pattern resembling filigree and set with facetted diamonds in raised settings, is typical of that trend. It would originally have been worn on a ribbon round the neck, but a hook has been added at some later period so that it could be hung from a necklace or chain. At the same time a brooch fitting was added to the cross at the bottom. This would have prevented the cross from falling about while being worn. The cross is attached by a hinge to the body of the pendant, so it could not have been detached and worn separately. |
Bibliographic reference | Lords of the Ocean. Treasures of the Portuguese Empire in the 16th - 18th centuries, ed. by Yulia Buzykina and Vladimir Tauber. Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Moscow Kremlin Museums, Moscow, 5 December 2017 - 25 February 2018. Moscow, 2017. ISBN 978-5-88678-316-2 |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.82-1913 |
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Record created | July 28, 2006 |
Record URL |
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