Gifts of Grandeur: The Hull Grundy Pansy Brooch, c. 1850

The British Museum

As we've often discussed before, the Victorian Language of Flowers was used to communicate many a message when the spoken word was not appropriate.  In this intimate language, the pansy represented "thoughts"--a clever play on the French word "pensees" which means "thoughts."  The pansy could also signify to the recipient of the flower that the sender was saying, "You occupy my thoughts."  The pansy was developed out of the viola by botanists from the late 1820s and by 1861, the brightly-hued, large variations that we know today were being grown.

When this brooch was made between 1840 and 1850, we can see that the flower was well on its way to becoming the bloom that we know.  At this point in both floral and jewelry history, the pansy was a popular romantic symbol, and this jewel is a perfect example of the place that the bloom held in English culture.  A work of chased two-color gold, the brooch is set with amethysts and citrines with pale green stone, possibly peridot, in the center.  The gems are mounted in the form of a pansy flower with the flower-head set on a trembler spring.

This piece forms part of the Hull Grundy bequest to The British Museum.

The Home Beautiful: The de Lamerie Silver Basket, 1731-1732

Silver Basket
Paul de Laremie, c. 1731
This and all related images from
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This silver basket was inherited by the great grandson of Sir Robert Walpole—the first prime minister of Great Britain. Sir Robert had a great appreciation for silver and was one of the earliest patrons of the Huguenot silver smith Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751), the maker of this piece.

The Huguenots (French Protestants) had no choice but to leave France after Catholic King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. This edict had allowed a degree of religious tolerance in France, but after it was revoked, non-Catholics were in a sticky situation.

Many of the Huguenots, like de Lamerie, were skilled craftsmen. A large portion of them settled in London where they found a ready market eager to snatch up their wares—mostly luxury items, silver, furniture, jewelry, watches and such. These items also had the appeal of a distinctly French style.

A silver, two-handled oval basket, it sits on a rim foot of pieced ornament. The sides are pierced and chased in a simulation of woven basketwork. The basket’s handles are fashioned as twined rope-work. A coat of arms is engraved on the interior. De Laremie made this basket between 1731 and 1732.

It’s now part of the Gilbert Collection at the V&A.

Precious Time: The Goujon Watch and Pair Case, c. 1730

Click Image to Enlarge
Watch and Pair Case
Made in London, c. 1730
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made around 1730, this embossed and chased gold watch and pair case is signed (on the movement’s dust cap) “Gerret Bramer, Amsterdam.” The case is embossed with a scene which was modeled after Gérard de Lairesse’s image of Cleopatra just as she is about to dissolve the pearl before Anthony.

The chasing is signed “H Manly fecit” and both cases are marked “SG” for Stephen Goujon of London who served as the maker of the case.

The watch with its ¼ repeating movement was made in London by Goujon and decorated by Manly for export to Amsterdam where it was sold by the retailed Geret Bramer.  This gorgeous timepiece features a stem set with a diamond and diamonds mounted on the face and hands.  

Mastery of Design: The Diamond-Eyed Pug Snuff Box

Snuff Box
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of Prussian origin, this snuff box of bloodstone takes the shape of a recumbent pug dog.  He sports diamond-set eyes and teeth, a tongue of rhodonite and the gold inlaid inscription "TOUJOURS FIDELE" on his collar.

The doggie sits upon a rectangular four-color gold base which has been chased with a scene of three hounds attacking a bull in a wooded landscape.

The box was given by George, Duke of Cambridge to King Edward VII.  Edward bequeathed the box to his son, King George V.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Hull-Grundy Hair Ornament

Hair Ornament
c. 1760
This and all relayed images from The British Musuem

Another jewel from The British Museum's Hull-Grundy Gift, this hair ornament is made in the form of a floral spray with leaves of chased silver and gold settings for the foiled rose-cut diamonds.  Four pear-shaped pendant drop diamonds and two baroque pearls join the four diamond drops.

The ornament was made in Russia, circa 1760 and shows the Eighteenth Century taste for asymmetrical aigrettes in the Rococo fashion.  The style was especially popular in Russia and Italy, adapted from a Spanish style which relied heavily on shimmering pendant drops.  

A brooch set with emeralds from the same time period and place of creation is frequently associated with this hair ornament.  

Mastery of Design: A Chased Gold Poodle, c. 1870

Brooch
France, 1870
The British Museum

Made in France, circa 1870, this chased gold brooch takes the form of a handsome poodle.

It's part of the Hull Grundy Bequest to The British Museum.

And, that's really all there is to say about it.  It has nothing to do with anything else I posted today, I just liked it.  Otherwise, I was going for a whole "rebirth" and "innocence" theme for the day.

I'm still recovering from the vile lasts gasps of the illness which gobbled at me at the end of 2013.  However, tomorrow, we will be looking at FOOD, food and more food as we take a look at the Christmas a New Year versions of the "Treat of the Week."  That will be much fun.

Mastery of Design: The Hull Grundy Pansy Brooch, c. 1850

The British Museum

As we've often discussed before, the Victorian Language of Flowers was used to communicate many a message when the spoken word was not appropriate.  In this intimate language, the pansy represented "thoughts"--a clever play on the French word "pensees" which means "thoughts."  The pansy could also signify to the recipient of the flower that the sender was saying, "You occupy my thoughts."  The pansy was developed out of the viola by botanists from the late 1820s and by 1861, the brightly-hued, large variations that we know today were being grown.

When this brooch was made between 1840 and 1850, we can see that the flower was well on its way to becoming the bloom that we know.  At this point in both floral and jewelry history, the pansy was a popular romantic symbol, and this jewel is a perfect example of the place that the bloom held in English culture.  A work of chased two-color gold, the brooch is set with amethysts and citrines with pale green stone, possibly peridot, in the center.  The gems are mounted in the form of a pansy flower with the flower-head set on a trembler spring.

This piece forms part of the Hull Grundy bequest to The British Museum.

Mastery of Design: The Anne Hull Grundy Camellia, c. 1860

All Images From the British Museum.

I'm in love with this brooch.  So much so that I can almost forgive the fact that it's made out of elephant.  Made around 1860 in England, the chased green gold ornament takes the form of a camellia with the blooms crafted of finely-carved and tinted ivory.

From the Hull-Grundy gift to The British Museum, the intricately worked ivory is, as The British Museum puts it, "of unusually high quality, demonstating a concern for naturalistic accuracy rather than any interest in intrinsic value."

The brooch was wholly restored by The British Museum in 2009.  It has been purchased by Anne Hull Grundy from N. Bloom & Son, 40 Albemarle Street, London W1 for, according  a 1973 invoice, £440.  The jeweler mistakenly described the ornament as a "Gold and ivory rose spray brooch, c. 1820," when it is in fact, a camellia from c. 1860.

Mastery of Design: The Carbuncle Tiara

The British Museum

Click image to enlarge.

Made circa 1850 in England, this regal tiara of bloomed and chased two-color gold is set with cabochon garnets and takes the from of a floral half-circlet.

A brilliant representative of the style of the time, this is among the many jewels bequeathed to The British Museum by Professor John and Anne Hull Grundy in 1978.  

Gifts of Grandeur: The Joseph-Etienne Blerzy Snuffbox, 1775-1776

Click on image to enlarge.

Snuffbox
France, 1775-1776
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Another snuffbox from the collection of Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert, this one is a true masterpiece of translucent red enamel over an engine-turned background. One would think that engine-turned patterns would be easier to produce than those engraved by hand, but, in reality, precise engine-turning requites a vast amount of skill from the operator who must constantly be alert that the individual portions of the design line up properly. Another difficult task in this process is ensuring that the engraving isn’t too deep and that the depth remains consistent. Therefore, this snuffbox is a triumph and a glorious example of the workmaster’s skill. 

This is the work of Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, a French goldsmith working in Paris. It was made between 1775 and 1776, and, I should note that the jeweled monogram “LM” came at a later date. The rectangular box features canted corners and is adorned with a white border of enamel and enameled fruiting foliage and pilasters draped with swags. The interlaced ribbon of rose-cut diamonds is original to the piece, but, as I said, it’s believed that the diamond monogram was added in the Nineteenth Century.

Mastery of Design: The Diamond-Eyed Pug Snuff Box

Snuff Box
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of Prussian origin, this snuff box of bloodstone takes the shape of a recumbent pug dog.  He sports diamond-set eyes and teeth, a tongue of rhodonite and the gold inlaid inscription "TOUJOURS FIDELE" on his collar.

The doggie sits upon a rectangular four-color gold base which has been chased with a scene of three hounds attacking a bull in a wooded landscape.

The box was given by George, Duke of Cambridge to King Edward VII.  Edward bequeathed the box to his son, King George V.

Mastery of Design: The Hull-Grundy Hair Ornament

Hair Ornament
c. 1760
This and all relayed images from The British Musuem

Another jewel from The British Museum's Hull-Grundy Gift, this hair ornament is made in the form of a floral spray with leaves of chased silver and gold settings for the foiled rose-cut diamonds.  Four pear-shaped pendant drop diamonds and two baroque pearls join the four diamond drops.

The ornament was made in Russia, circa 1760 and shows the Eighteenth Century taste for asymmetrical aigrettes in the Rococo fashion.  The style was especially popular in Russia and Italy, adapted from a Spanish style which relied heavily on shimmering pendant drops.  

A brooch set with emeralds from the same time period and place of creation is frequently associated with this hair ornament.  

Mastery of Design: The Fabergé Dove, 1908

Dove
Part of the Sandringham Commission, 1907-1908
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Another from the Royal Collection’s Fabergé menagerie, this dove is crafted of heavenly chalcedony. It was part of the great 1907 Sandringham Commission ordered by King Edward VII to keep Queen Alexandra properly amused. The fantail dove sits upon chased gold legs and looks at us peacefully through rose-cut diamond eyes.

The Home Beautiful: The Rosewater Basin, 1650

The Rosewater basin
Andreas Wickert I, 1650
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Goldsmith Andreas Wickert I (1600-1661) created this silver gilt basin around 1650. The Augsburg silver-gilt dish displays a lightly-lobed, oval form which is applied with four cast cherubs. The whole of the basin is embossed and chased with scenes of the Flood (complete with drowning people and happy dolphins) and Noah and his kin boarding the Ark.

The surrounding cartouches show scenes of birds and animals, largely exotic, which represent the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, since in the Seventeenth Century, those were the continents with which a German goldsmith felt the most certain. The reverse is engraved with the badge of the Prince of Wales--that, as you'll see, was a later addition.

So…using Chandler Bing voice…could this BE any more Baroque? Volutes and birds and butterflies and foliage and water and drowning and bugs and…everything!

Well, then…who do we know who really dug the Baroque silver? Our opulent, debauched buddy King George IV (The Prince Regent, etc.). He pioneered a renewed taste for Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century silver, and, this little number was one of the first such pieces that he bought. He purchased the piece in 1817 together with a companion ewer which he wrote in his journal as being, “ a chased silver Ewer supported by a Satyr with Butterfly at top.” Curiously, the Carlton House (King George IV’s London residence, now gone) inventory of 1825 lists only the basin, but does not mention the ewer. So, who knows where that ended up over a period of eight years.

Georgie purchased the pieces through Rundells—the court jeweler at the time--for £222 18s 0d.

Obviously, with the ewer, the basin would have been used for the washing of fingers at the dining table. The water would have been poured over rose petals. Now…who else do we know who would have really liked this thing? Queen Mary, of course! The consort of King George V—who no doubt tore apart Windsor Castle looking for that ewer—favored this basin and commissioned a set of silver figures to support it.

The Home Beautiful: The de Lamerie Silver Basket, 1731-1732

Silver Basket
Paul de Laremie, c. 1731
This and all related images from
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This silver basket was inherited by the great grandson of Sir Robert Walpole—the first prime minister of Great Britain. Sir Robert had a great appreciation for silver and was one of the earliest patrons of the Huguenot silver smith Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751), the maker of this piece.

The Huguenots (French Protestants) had no choice but to leave France after Catholic King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. This edict had allowed a degree of religious tolerance in France, but after it was revoked, non-Catholics were in a sticky situation.

Many of the Huguenots, like de Lamerie, were skilled craftsmen. A large portion of them settled in London where they found a ready market eager to snatch up their wares—mostly luxury items, silver, furniture, jewelry, watches and such. These items also had the appeal of a distinctly French style.

A silver, two-handled oval basket, it sits on a rim foot of pieced ornament. The sides are pierced and chased in a simulation of woven basketwork. The basket’s handles are fashioned as twined rope-work. A coat of arms is engraved on the interior. De Laremie made this basket between 1731 and 1732.

It’s now part of the Gilbert Collection at the V&A.

Mastery of Design: The Caswell Garnet Brooch, c. 1860

Brooch
England, 1860s
The Victoria & Albert Museum

You couldn’t find a brooch which better summed up the designs of the 1860s. This gold brooch is set cabochon cut garnets and topazes upon a central, raised shield. The foliate portion of the brooch is expertly hand-chased.

Though it’s not marked, we know that the piece originated in Britain and was made around 1860. 

Mastery of Design: The Joseph-Etienne Blerzy Snuffbox, 1775-1776

Click on image to enlarge.

Snuffbox
France, 1775-1776
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Another snuffbox from the collection of Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert, this one is a true masterpiece of translucent red enamel over an engine-turned background. One would think that engine-turned patterns would be easier to produce than those engraved by hand, but, in reality, precise engine-turning requites a vast amount of skill from the operator who must constantly be alert that the individual portions of the design line up properly. Another difficult task in this process is ensuring that the engraving isn’t too deep and that the depth remains consistent. Therefore, this snuffbox is a triumph and a glorious example of the workmaster’s skill. 

This is the work of Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, a French goldsmith working in Paris. It was made between 1775 and 1776, and, I should note that the jeweled monogram “LM” came at a later date. The rectangular box features canted corners and is adorned with a white border of enamel and enameled fruiting foliage and pilasters draped with swags. The interlaced ribbon of rose-cut diamonds is original to the piece, but, as I said, it’s believed that the diamond monogram was added in the Nineteenth Century.

Make sure to come back later for a special bonus "At the Music Hall" post which I'll put up this afternoon.

Precious Time: The Goujon Watch and Pair Case, c. 1730

Click Image to Enlarge
Watch and Pair Case
Made in London, c. 1730
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made around 1730, this embossed and chased gold watch and pair case is signed (on the movement’s dust cap) “Gerret Bramer, Amsterdam.” The case is embossed with a scene which was modeled after Gérard de Lairesse’s image of Cleopatra just as she is about to dissolve the pearl before Anthony.

The chasing is signed “H Manly fecit” and both cases are marked “SG” for Stephen Goujon of London who served as the maker of the case.

The watch with its ¼ repeating movement was made in London by Goujon and decorated by Manly for export to Amsterdam where it was sold by the retailed Geret Bramer.  This gorgeous timepiece features a stem set with a diamond and diamonds mounted on the face and hands.