Mastery of Design: The Froment-Meurice Coral Bacchus, 1854

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We've looked at several pieces by the Nineteenth Century French jewelers Froment -Meurice.  This piece in coral, gold, silver, pearls and a shimmering rose-cut diamond is one of the most exceptional. 

 Coral has long been valued, used as a jewel since antiquity and believed to be an amulet which could protect against the evil eye.  For the latter reason, it was was often worn by children or used in rosaries.

Froment-Meurice, like other jewelers of the era, looked back at historical designs.  This piece is a perfect example of that mentality.  This pendant  with a coral cameo depicting Bacchus has a sculpted gold frame decorated with winged mermaids and hung with pearls and diamond sparks.  It was probably one of the last sets of jewelry to be sold by the Paris jeweler François-Désiré Froment-Meurice before his death in 1855 . 

Mastery of Design: The Froment-Meurice Bacchus Pendant, 1854

Coral Pendant with Pearls and Diamond Sparks
Froment-Meurice, Paris, 1854
The Victoria  & Albert Museum

In the mid-Nineteenth Centuries, jewelers and designers started to turn to historical images for inspiration, especially as archaeological discoveries were becoming more commonplace.

Take this pendant, for example. It looks back to the elaborate pendants of Renaissance Italy with their intricately sculpted gold. This is actually part of a handsome parure which also consists of two matching brooches. The pendant and brooches hold the distinction of being one of the last sets of jewels to be sold by the Paris jeweler François-Désiré Froment-Meurice before his death in 1855. Froment-Meurive’s widow would later show a similar pendant at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1855.

This pendant consists of a coral cameo depicting Bacchus in a sculpted gold frame decorated with winged mermaids and hung with pearls and diamond sparks. Coral, since ancient times, was believed to protect against the evil eye, and it was often worn by children or used in rosaries. By the Nineteenth Century, coral had become quite fashionable for both day and evening wear.

Mastery of Design: The St. George and the Dragon Brooch, 1855

Brooch
Froment-Meurice, 1855
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This brooch pin is the work of the famed Parisian jeweler François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1802-1855) whose distinguished work was considered to be of the highest quality. Additionally, Froment-Meurice was known to employ the most talented designers, enamellers, goldsmiths and silversmiths of his era. This enameled gold depiction of St. George and the Dragon was part of Froment-Meurice’s display for the Exposition Universelle of 1855. The brooch would win the gold medal, but Froment-Meurice never saw it. He died suddenly before the opening of exhibition.

The Victoria & Albert Museum purchased the brooch immediately following its first-place win at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855. Oddly enough, the pin was stolen during or immediately after the Second World War, when the collections were dispersed for their own safety. The piece was recovered, minus its fittings, in 1953 in time for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mastery of Design: The Froment-Meurice Coral Brooch, 1854

Brooch of Coral, Gold and Pearls
Froment-Meurice, c. 1855
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Coral has been used in jewelry since antiquity as it was thought to be an amulet which could protect against the evil eye.  As such, it was often worn by children or used in rosaries.

Around the early Nineteenth Century, coral began to be employed in conventional jewelry and quickly became the  height of fashion. According to the 19th century French jeweler Henri Vever “Every day, the coral merchant of H.R.H. Madame, Duchesse d'Angouleme, offers the most elaborate and elegant parures to customers and passers-by: the jewels which are sold there are created with exquisite taste.”

Because of its long history, coral easily worked in the popular archaeological styles which were fashionable during this period.  This piece was inspired by the elaborate pendants of the Renaissance with their intricately sculpted gold.

Carved with a figure of the Greek god, the brooch has a matching pendant. It was probably one of the last sets of jewelry to be sold by the Paris jeweller François-Désiré Froment-Meurice before his death in 1855.  It is hung with pearls.

Mastery of Design: The Froment-Meurice Coral Bacchus, 1854

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We've looked at several pieces by the Nineteenth Century French jewelers Froment -Meurice.  This piece in coral, gold, silver, pearls and a shimmering rose-cut diamond is one of the most exceptional. 

 Coral has long been valued, used as a jewel since antiquity and believed to be an amulet which could protect against the evil eye.  For the latter reason, it was was often worn by children or used in rosaries.

Froment-Meurice, like other jewelers of the era, looked back at historical designs.  This piece is a perfect example of that mentality.  This pendant  with a coral cameo depicting Bacchus has a sculpted gold frame decorated with winged mermaids and hung with pearls and diamond sparks.  It was probably one of the last sets of jewelry to be sold by the Paris jeweler François-Désiré Froment-Meurice before his death in 1855 . 

Mastery of Design: The Froment-Meurice Bacchus Pendant, 1854

Coral Pendant with Pearls and Diamond Sparks
Froment-Meurice, Paris, 1854
The Victoria  & Albert Museum

In the mid-Nineteenth Centuries, jewelers and designers started to turn to historical images for inspiration, especially as archaeological discoveries were becoming more commonplace.

Take this pendant, for example. It looks back to the elaborate pendants of Renaissance Italy with their intricately sculpted gold. This is actually part of a handsome parure which also consists of two matching brooches. The pendant and brooches hold the distinction of being one of the last sets of jewels to be sold by the Paris jeweler François-Désiré Froment-Meurice before his death in 1855. Froment-Meurive’s widow would later show a similar pendant at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1855.

This pendant consists of a coral cameo depicting Bacchus in a sculpted gold frame decorated with winged mermaids and hung with pearls and diamond sparks. Coral, since ancient times, was believed to protect against the evil eye, and it was often worn by children or used in rosaries. By the Nineteenth Century, coral had become quite fashionable for both day and evening wear.