Mastery of Design: The Harlequin Mask Stickpin, 18th Century

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today’s sparkly thing is a handsome Eighteenth-Century pin with a head in the form of a porcelain Harlequin’s mask. The mask is surrounded by gold foliage set with rose-cut diamonds, rubies and emeralds. This is the work of an unknown Western European maker.

Mastery of Design: A Cartier Diamond and Coral Jabot Scarf Pin, 1920

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This long scarf pin by Cartier features three overlapping jeweled semicircles at its head. This pattern is echoed in miniature on the clip at its base. Made between 1920 and 1930, this style of brooch was very fashionable at the time. It is made up of two separate decorative ends which are joined by a pin.

When made, Cartier referred to these pins as “cliquet pins” because of the snap fastening which held the lower element in place over the sharp point of the pin. However, overall such pins are referred to as jabot pins (after a cravat or jabot) or sûreté pins.

A pin like this—in the 1920s would have been worn to secure a scarf or worn on the lapel. Sometimes, they were even worn at the front of a cloche hat. In all instances, only the two jeweled ends of the piece would be seen, with the pin concealed. This example of platinum set with fans of coral, onyx and brilliant-cut diamonds typifies both the look of the Art Deco and Cartier’s preferred style for these pins. 

Mastery of Design: The Grundy Butterfly Pin, c. 1800

Click on image to enlarge.
Hair Pin
England, 1800
The British Museum

I really like this pin which dates to around 1800. It was likely made in England, but we’ll examine that more closely in a second. Originally, the piece was made as a hairpin. It’s crafted of silver with a closed-back and set with diamonds with ruby eyes and antennae of gold wire.

Two hinged arms with loops at the end were added to the back at a later date. This addition allowed the jewel to be worn as a pendant hung from a ribbon or chain. Butterfly hairpins such as this one were fashionable between1800-30. The pins were usually worn with fresh flower wreaths.

The piece was once part of the collection of Hull Grundy. The curators of the British Museum believe that this pin might be one which was described in the records of the Royal Goldsmiths at Rundells. The piece therein described was supplied to Princess Amelia. The records state: 

“’An elegant Butterfly for the hair' for £142.15s for Princess Amelia.”

Mastery of Design: A Curious Sapphire Dress-Pin, 100-130

Dress Pin
Roman, 100-130
The British Museum

Here's a curious, but attractive bit of sparkle from The British Museum.  This Roman dress-pin dates to about 100-130.  A work of carved sapphire and wrought gold, the piece depicts the bust of a woman sporting an elaborate coiffure.  The odd part of the bust's hairdo is that, in the reverse, it reveals the face of a child.  Hmmmm...

A modern gold pedestal was added to the original wrought gold setting which included the small diamond that's still visible at the bodice of the bust.  

Mastery of Design: The Carlo Giuliano Mother-of-Pearl Brooch, 1865

Brooch of Mother-of-Pearl and Gold
Carlo Giuliano, 1865
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Inspired by the shape of an ancient Greek leather shield, this brooch of gold and mother-of-pearl is decorated with twisted gold wires, with grains of gold, and with two cast lion masks and three cast heads of lionesses.

This piece, dating to 1865, is the work of Carlo Giuliano (1826-1895) who trained in the celebrated Castellani workshops in Rome before he accompanied Alessandro Castellani to London, in 1860.

In London, Giuliano established his own manufactory at 13 Frith Street in Soho. His work soon caught the attention of important patrons, and it was, notably, much-admired by the Pre-Raphaelite painters and their circle. Upon his death, Giuliano bequeathed his collection of jewelry to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). Sadly, most of the best pieces of the collection were stolen in 1899 and never recovered. Giuliano’s sons Carlo Joseph and Arthur made a further gift in 1900, which included this brooch.

Mastery of Design: A Diamond Hairpin, 1830-1840

Butterfly Hairpin
Diamonds, Silver, Gold
1830-1840
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Set in silver on a gold frame, rose-cut and brilliant diamonds sparkle in the form of a butterfly. This magnificent diamond hairpin was part of the early Nineteenth Century’s Romantic movement and its reliance on natural forms and designs.

Very often, until the rise of platinum and white gold, diamonds were set in silver prongs so that yellow or rose gold setting would not distract from the diamond or alter its color.

Mastery of Design: The Grundy Butterfly Pin, c. 1800

Click on image to enlarge.
Hair Pin
England, 1800
The British Museum

I really like this pin which dates to around 1800. It was likely made in England, but we’ll examine that more closely in a second. Originally, the piece was made as a hairpin. It’s crafted of silver with a closed-back and set with diamonds with ruby eyes and antennae of gold wire.

Two hinged arms with loops at the end were added to the back at a later date. This addition allowed the jewel to be worn as a pendant hung from a ribbon or chain. Butterfly hairpins such as this one were fashionable between1800-30. The pins were usually worn with fresh flower wreaths.

The piece was once part of the collection of Hull Grundy. The curators of the British Museum believe that this pin might be one which was described in the records of the Royal Goldsmiths at Rundells. The piece therein described was supplied to Princess Amelia. The records state: 

“’An elegant Butterfly for the hair' for £142.15s for Princess Amelia.”

Mastery of Design: The Enamel Flower, Late 17th C.

Enamel and Gold Jewel set with a Diamond
Seventeenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This jewel began as a pendant. Made in the late Seventeenth Century of enameled gold in the form of a flower, it is set with a table-cut diamond. In the Nineteenth Century, it was adapted to make a pin. Its maker and place of origin are unknown. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Layette Pin Cushion, 1778

Layette Pin Cusion
England, 1778
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Until the widespread marketing of the safety pin in 1870, baby clothes were pinned with the same, ordinary, sharp pins which were used for everything else. For this reason, the gift of a layette pincushion was traditional and entirely appropriate. However, many believed that a pin cushion should not be given unto after the birth since it was thought that pins in the home would make for a painful delivery. “For every pin, a pain” and “More pins, more pain” were common sayings. When a pin cushion was given as a gift, it was typically adorned with pins in a pattern with some importance or relevance to the situation. This English example from 1778 is made of hand-quilted ivory cotton which has been edged with cotton fringing. The topmost plane of the cushion has been adorned with a pattern of pins which show an escutcheon with a coat of arms used by the Pateshall family. The initials “AP” are shown above and the date (1778) below. On each side of the initials, a speckled bird with raised wings is depicted while a stylized flower is shown at each side of the date. Other pins make a floral border or tendrils. 

The curators at the V&A have, through careful research, deduced that this cushion was given as a gift in commemoration of the birth of one Edmund Burnam Pateshall of Allensmore Court on December 3, 1778.

Mastery of Design: The Carlo Giuliano Mother-of-Pearl Brooch, 1865

Brooch of Mother-of-Pearl and Gold
Carlo Giuliano, 1865
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Inspired by the shape of an ancient Greek leather shield, this brooch of gold and mother-of-pearl is decorated with twisted gold wires, with grains of gold, and with two cast lion masks and three cast heads of lionesses.

This piece, dating to 1865, is the work of Carlo Giuliano (1826-1895) who trained in the celebrated Castellani workshops in Rome before he accompanied Alessandro Castellani to London, in 1860.

In London, Giuliano established his own manufactory at 13 Frith Street in Soho. His work soon caught the attention of important patrons, and it was, notably, much-admired by the Pre-Raphaelite painters and their circle. Upon his death, Giuliano bequeathed his collection of jewelry to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). Sadly, most of the best pieces of the collection were stolen in 1899 and never recovered. Giuliano’s sons Carlo Joseph and Arthur made a further gift in 1900, which included this brooch.

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 Jane Morris Citrine, 1820-30

Citrine Brooch
Set with emeralds and rubies.
Belonging to Mrs. Jane Morris
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This handsome citrine brooch originally belonged to Jane Morris, the wife of the artist, designer and socialist William Morris.  We’ve looked at several of “Janey’s” jewels before.  Many of them, oddly enough, didn’t come from her famous husband, but, instead came from one of his famous friends.  You see, Janey was often painted by the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti with whom she enjoyed a long “friendship.”  Many of Janey’s  jewels were given to her by Rossetti—including this one.

Oblong with rounded corners, the brooch is set with twelve small rubies and emeralds which are mounted in the filigree frame which surrounds the central stone.  It was made between 1820 and 1830.  It was later adapted to be worn as a pendant.

Her collection was bequeathed to the V&A by her daughter, May, in 1938.

Some other baubles Rossetti gave to "Janey."

Mastery of Design: A Cartier Diamond and Coral Jabot Scarf Pin, 1920

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This long scarf pin by Cartier features three overlapping jeweled semicircles at its head.  This pattern is echoed in miniature on the clip at its base. Made between 1920 and 1930, this style of brooch was very fashionable at the time.  It is made up of two separate decorative ends which are joined by a pin.


When made, Cartier referred to these pins as “cliquet pins” because of the snap fastening which held the lower element in place over the sharp point of the pin.  However, overall such pins are referred to as jabot pins (after a cravat or jabot) or sûreté pins.

A pin like this—in the 1920s would have been worn to secure a scarf or worn on the lapel.  Sometimes, they were even worn at the front of a cloche hat.  In all instances, only the two jeweled ends of the piece would be seen, with the pin concealed.  This example of platinum set with fans of coral, onyx and brilliant-cut diamonds typifies both the look of the Art Deco and Cartier’s preferred style for these pins.  

Mastery of Design: The Harlequin Mask Stickpin, 18th Century

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today’s sparkly thing is a handsome Eighteenth-Century pin with a head in the form of a porcelain Harlequin’s mask. The mask is surrounded by gold foliage set with rose-cut diamonds, rubies and emeralds. This is the work of an unknown Western European maker.