Necklace thumbnail 1
Necklace thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Necklace

1800-1867 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The dominant colours in Italian traditional jewellery are red and gold. For necklaces the jewellers often used amber or coral, which were valued for their amuletic qualities as well as their colour. Most Italian traditional necklaces are made of beads, in designs which have been worn for centuries.

This necklace 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
Gold clasp with amber and coral beads
Brief description
Amber and coral necklace, Cervaro (Italy), 1800-1867.
Physical description
Necklace of 24 graduated amber beads, alternating with smaller coral beads. Gold snap clasp. Thread broken.
Dimensions
  • Full length length: 52.5cm
  • Width: 0.9cm
  • Depth: 0.8cm
Summary
The dominant colours in Italian traditional jewellery are red and gold. For necklaces the jewellers often used amber or coral, which were valued for their amuletic qualities as well as their colour. Most Italian traditional necklaces are made of beads, in designs which have been worn for centuries.

This necklace was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 9
  • For a later example, with similar colour scheme, see: Catalogue, ‘l'Ornamento Prezioso’, Rome/Milan, 1986, Tab.25, fig. 105
Collection
Accession number
190-1868

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Record createdOctober 17, 2008
Record URL
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