Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Object of the Day: A Victorian “Maple Leaf” Stickpin

The Victorian love of nature took many forms from bright gardens to organic designs in the decorative arts. Leaf designs were extremely popular. Prince Albert’s penchant for oak leaf patterns inspired not only an interest in the foliage of oaks, but also other native English trees.


This stickpin from the mid-Nineteenth-Century is testament to that particular Victorian taste. Here, we have a gold maple leaf, complete with stem, upon which a diamond has been set. If this concept seems familiar to you, I will confess that this stickpin was the inspiration for the gift that Robert gave to Mr. Punch in Chapter 91 of Punch’s Cousin.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fact that you find inspiration from something you can hold in your hand, just furthers the spirit of the belle epoque and makes the story all the more interesting.

Joseph Crisalli said...

That's very kind of you. Thanks!