Earring
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.
Red was the most popular colour in traditional jewellery throughout Italy. In the northern and central regions the jewellers usually decorated their jewellery with garnets, as here, often mixed with pearls. This earring, which comes from Genoa, has white pastes, which were much less common, and may reflect Genoa’s international outlook. The setting of the garnets is also more elaborate than is usual in Italian traditional jewellery.
It was bought for 12 shillings (the pair) as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Red was the most popular colour in traditional jewellery throughout Italy. In the northern and central regions the jewellers usually decorated their jewellery with garnets, as here, often mixed with pearls. This earring, which comes from Genoa, has white pastes, which were much less common, and may reflect Genoa’s international outlook. The setting of the garnets is also more elaborate than is usual in Italian traditional jewellery.
It was bought for 12 shillings (the pair) 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 set with garnets and white pastes |
Brief description | Gold girandole earring set with garnets and white pastes, Genoa (Italy), 1800-1867. |
Physical description | Gold openwork girandole earring, set with flat-cut garnets and white pastes. Hinged wire. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions | fleur-de-lys in circular frame (On the front of each pendant, at the tip; and on the side of the wire.) |
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. Red was the most popular colour in traditional jewellery throughout Italy. In the northern and central regions the jewellers usually decorated their jewellery with garnets, as here, often mixed with pearls. This earring, which comes from Genoa, has white pastes, which were much less common, and may reflect Genoa’s international outlook. The setting of the garnets is also more elaborate than is usual in Italian traditional jewellery. It was bought for 12 shillings (the pair) 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 1 |
Collection | |
Accession number | 426-1868 |
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Record created | October 31, 2008 |
Record URL |
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