Earring
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, an impressive 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.
All Italian women wore earrings. They preferred them to be gold, but many were made of gilded silver. Their shapes varied widely in different places. One of the most popular designs was the girandole, with three drops hanging from a central boss. This 17th century pattern survived until the end of the 19th century as part of the traditional costume in Italy.
The use of flat clear glass pastes in this earring is unusual for Italian traditional earrings, and it is possible that it comes from Spain, where this technique was more common.
All Italian women wore earrings. They preferred them to be gold, but many were made of gilded silver. Their shapes varied widely in different places. One of the most popular designs was the girandole, with three drops hanging from a central boss. This 17th century pattern survived until the end of the 19th century as part of the traditional costume in Italy.
The use of flat clear glass pastes in this earring is unusual for Italian traditional earrings, and it is possible that it comes from Spain, where this technique was more common.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt set with white pastes |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt girandole earring set with white glass, Italy, 1800-1850. |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt girandole earring of pierced floral design, set with white pastes. Wire missing. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Cecil F. Crofton |
| Object history | Cecil Frederick Crofton was born Frederick William Martin on 10 November 1859 in Birmingham. After a brief career as an architect, he changed direction and became a professional actor. He was most active between 1882 and 1896 and may have changed his name during this period. He was an energetic collector of textiles, silver, furniture and art, in particular the works of Simeon Solomon. From 1913, Cecil F. Crofton made a series of generous gifts to the V&A, including silver, works on paper, jewellery and textiles. |
| Summary | Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, an impressive 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. All Italian women wore earrings. They preferred them to be gold, but many were made of gilded silver. Their shapes varied widely in different places. One of the most popular designs was the girandole, with three drops hanging from a central boss. This 17th century pattern survived until the end of the 19th century as part of the traditional costume in Italy. The use of flat clear glass pastes in this earring is unusual for Italian traditional earrings, and it is possible that it comes from Spain, where this technique was more common. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.145-1922 |
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| Record created | October 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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