Scissors and Case
1800-1867 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The definition of jewellery varies from country to country. In some places, including parts of Italy, sewing aids are routinely included. They were often as decorative and valuable as the rest of the owner's jewellery, and were worn visibly in the same way.
The scissors in this filigree case were intended for sewing or embroidery. The case is made of filigree, which was so widely used in Europe in the 19th century that it was considered synonymous with traditional jewellery of all kinds. The owner would have worn it hanging from her belt by a cord running through the loops at each side. The lid is not attached to the case in any way, and the cord would also have prevented that from becoming detached and lost. Although this case was acquired as an example of traditional Italian peasant jewellery, it would have been equally acceptable to any fashionable Victorian woman in England. European filigree work was very popular in the 19th century.
It comes from Romagna, and was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
The scissors in this filigree case were intended for sewing or embroidery. The case is made of filigree, which was so widely used in Europe in the 19th century that it was considered synonymous with traditional jewellery of all kinds. The owner would have worn it hanging from her belt by a cord running through the loops at each side. The lid is not attached to the case in any way, and the cord would also have prevented that from becoming detached and lost. Although this case was acquired as an example of traditional Italian peasant jewellery, it would have been equally acceptable to any fashionable Victorian woman in England. European filigree work was very popular in the 19th century.
It comes from Romagna, and 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 | Silver filigree case containing steel scissors with silver handles |
| Brief description | Silver filigree scissors case, containing steel and silver scissors, Romagna (Italy), 1800-1867. |
| Physical description | Scissors case of open filigree, shaped like a pair of scissors, with original scissors inside. The lid pulls off the top, allowing the scissors to be removed. There are four loops round the top of the case, two on the case and two on the lid, which would have allowed it to be hung from a belt or chatelaine. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | '72' (At the top of both steel scissor blades.) |
| Summary | The definition of jewellery varies from country to country. In some places, including parts of Italy, sewing aids are routinely included. They were often as decorative and valuable as the rest of the owner's jewellery, and were worn visibly in the same way. The scissors in this filigree case were intended for sewing or embroidery. The case is made of filigree, which was so widely used in Europe in the 19th century that it was considered synonymous with traditional jewellery of all kinds. The owner would have worn it hanging from her belt by a cord running through the loops at each side. The lid is not attached to the case in any way, and the cord would also have prevented that from becoming detached and lost. Although this case was acquired as an example of traditional Italian peasant jewellery, it would have been equally acceptable to any fashionable Victorian woman in England. European filigree work was very popular in the 19th century. It comes from Romagna, and 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 7 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 360-1868 |
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| Record created | March 20, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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