Pendant Cross thumbnail 1
Not on display

Pendant Cross

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

Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. They used thin sheet gold to make impressive pieces of jewellery, and decorated them with glass stones made to look like real gems. The red stones in this pendant look like genuine garnets, but they are almost certainly doublets, made from a tiny sliver of garnet stuck to the front of a transparent glass stone.

The design of this pendant is based on aristocratic jewellery of the 18th century. But the detail and execution of this piece are uniquely Italian. These pendants were part of traditional costume in northern Italy in the first half of the 19th century. The original owner would have worn it hung from a ribbon, passed through a loop at the back of the top segment, which is now missing.

It 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
Sheet gold set with garnets
Brief description
Gold pendant cross set with garnets, Parma (Italy), 1800-1867.
Physical description
Three-part cross, made of thin sheet metal decorated with applied plain and twisted wire. The cross hangs from a small rosette, with a larger plaque at the top. All the pieces are decorated with flat-cut garnets in closed settings. The suspension loop, which should have been on the back of the top part, is missing.
Dimensions
  • Length: 9.6cm
  • Width: 5.2cm
  • Depth: 0.4cm
Subject depicted
Summary
Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. They used thin sheet gold to make impressive pieces of jewellery, and decorated them with glass stones made to look like real gems. The red stones in this pendant look like genuine garnets, but they are almost certainly doublets, made from a tiny sliver of garnet stuck to the front of a transparent glass stone.

The design of this pendant is based on aristocratic jewellery of the 18th century. But the detail and execution of this piece are uniquely Italian. These pendants were part of traditional costume in northern Italy in the first half of the 19th century. The original owner would have worn it hung from a ribbon, passed through a loop at the back of the top segment, which is now missing.

It 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 2
Collection
Accession number
322-1868

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Record createdOctober 31, 2008
Record URL
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