Necklace
1840-1865 (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. Many pieces were made of very thin gold, and are much lighter than they appear. Even the largest pieces weigh only a few grams.
Gold necklaces and chains made of hollow beads or thin oval links were worn throughout Italy in the 19th century, either singly or in graduated rows. The design of the cross is that of a French Croix jeannette. It may have been made in France, but the mark does not appear to be French, and it could have been made in Italy, where crosses of this kind were very popular in the 19th century.
This necklace and cross was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Gold necklaces and chains made of hollow beads or thin oval links were worn throughout Italy in the 19th century, either singly or in graduated rows. The design of the cross is that of a French Croix jeannette. It may have been made in France, but the mark does not appear to be French, and it could have been made in Italy, where crosses of this kind were very popular in the 19th century.
This necklace and cross 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 | Hollow stamped sheet gold |
| Brief description | Gold necklace of hollow facetted beads and flat oval links with a pendant cross, Agnone (Italy), 1840-1865. |
| Physical description | Gold necklace with pendant cross. The necklace consists of 21 (originally 23) hollow graduated facetted beads interspersed with 20 (out of 23) flat oval links with a scalloped outer edge. The beads are joined to the links by wires running through the centre and forming a loop at each side. The largest beads are at the front, where the cross hangs. The cross is made of thin hollow stamped sheet metal with a flat fleur de lys at the top and a floral design in the centre and at the ends of the arms. |
| 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. Many pieces were made of very thin gold, and are much lighter than they appear. Even the largest pieces weigh only a few grams. Gold necklaces and chains made of hollow beads or thin oval links were worn throughout Italy in the 19th century, either singly or in graduated rows. The design of the cross is that of a French Croix jeannette. It may have been made in France, but the mark does not appear to be French, and it could have been made in Italy, where crosses of this kind were very popular in the 19th century. This necklace and cross 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 9 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 183-1868 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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