Tiara
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
The tiara appears to have been inspired by an Etruscan gold wreath from about the 5th century BC, which is in the Campanari Collection acquired by the British Museum in 1841.
People
The firm of Castellani was founded in Rome by Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794-1865). In the mid-1820s Castellani won the patronage of the distinguished archaeologist Michelangelo Caetani, later Duke of Sermoneta. In 1851 Caetani inspired Castellani and his sons Alessandro (1823-1883) and Augusto (1829-1914) to concentrate on jewellery based on classical models.
Design & Designing
Emily, Dowager Countess of Crawford, wrote in 1921, when she presented this necklace to the V&A, together with a wreath and a pair of earrings (also on display), that they had been made 'from the design of Michelangelo, Duke of Sermoneta, in conjunction with Castellani', and she gave W. W. Watts, Keeper of Metalwork, to understand that they had been a wedding gift. As Emily Bootle-Wilbraham, in 1869 she had married James, Lord Lindsay, later 26th Earl of Crawford.
However, the jewellery historian Geoffrey Munn has pointed out that Michelangelo Caetani was blind from 1865. If it is true that the jewellery was a wedding gift and that Caetani had some influence on the design, the simplest explanation may be that the jewellery given to Emily in 1869 was a further development of a design conceived earlier by Caetani and Castellani.
The tiara appears to have been inspired by an Etruscan gold wreath from about the 5th century BC, which is in the Campanari Collection acquired by the British Museum in 1841.
People
The firm of Castellani was founded in Rome by Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794-1865). In the mid-1820s Castellani won the patronage of the distinguished archaeologist Michelangelo Caetani, later Duke of Sermoneta. In 1851 Caetani inspired Castellani and his sons Alessandro (1823-1883) and Augusto (1829-1914) to concentrate on jewellery based on classical models.
Design & Designing
Emily, Dowager Countess of Crawford, wrote in 1921, when she presented this necklace to the V&A, together with a wreath and a pair of earrings (also on display), that they had been made 'from the design of Michelangelo, Duke of Sermoneta, in conjunction with Castellani', and she gave W. W. Watts, Keeper of Metalwork, to understand that they had been a wedding gift. As Emily Bootle-Wilbraham, in 1869 she had married James, Lord Lindsay, later 26th Earl of Crawford.
However, the jewellery historian Geoffrey Munn has pointed out that Michelangelo Caetani was blind from 1865. If it is true that the jewellery was a wedding gift and that Caetani had some influence on the design, the simplest explanation may be that the jewellery given to Emily in 1869 was a further development of a design conceived earlier by Caetani and Castellani.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold and pearls in the form of a myrtle wreath, mounted on a velvet band |
| Brief description | Castellani jewellery |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Emily, Dowager Countess of Crawford |
| Object history | Made in Rome by the firm of Castellani (active about 1814-1930) |
| Summary | Object Type The tiara appears to have been inspired by an Etruscan gold wreath from about the 5th century BC, which is in the Campanari Collection acquired by the British Museum in 1841. People The firm of Castellani was founded in Rome by Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794-1865). In the mid-1820s Castellani won the patronage of the distinguished archaeologist Michelangelo Caetani, later Duke of Sermoneta. In 1851 Caetani inspired Castellani and his sons Alessandro (1823-1883) and Augusto (1829-1914) to concentrate on jewellery based on classical models. Design & Designing Emily, Dowager Countess of Crawford, wrote in 1921, when she presented this necklace to the V&A, together with a wreath and a pair of earrings (also on display), that they had been made 'from the design of Michelangelo, Duke of Sermoneta, in conjunction with Castellani', and she gave W. W. Watts, Keeper of Metalwork, to understand that they had been a wedding gift. As Emily Bootle-Wilbraham, in 1869 she had married James, Lord Lindsay, later 26th Earl of Crawford. However, the jewellery historian Geoffrey Munn has pointed out that Michelangelo Caetani was blind from 1865. If it is true that the jewellery was a wedding gift and that Caetani had some influence on the design, the simplest explanation may be that the jewellery given to Emily in 1869 was a further development of a design conceived earlier by Caetani and Castellani. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.63-1921 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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