Mastery of Design: The Jeweled Ivory Cup of King George IV

Ivory, Silver Gilt and Jeweled Cup
Belonged to King George IV
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Here’s one of the stars of The Royal Collection. This jeweled ivory cup is known by the curators of the collection as “The Brain,” since…well, it looks a bit like a brain. This was one of the many treasure collected by the oddly opulent King George IV whose taste for just about everything drained the Royal coffers.

Made in South Germany (or, some say, Austria), when the ceremonial cup was first purchased by George IV, it was a work of carved ivory mounted in gilt silver. As grand as it was, it wasn’t special enough for Georgie who had the emeralds, rubies and turquoises added just to make it a little shinier.

The carved, lobed ivory cup and cover is surmounted by a finial carved with a figure of Diana Goddess of the Hunt. She’s holding a spear and has her trusty hunting hound beside her. Sleeping hunters and animals (hares, hounds and boars) surround her and the reeded silver band.

The applied ivy leaves were mounted with the rubies, emeralds and turquoises which reflect the carved, high relief scenes around the sides of the cup. The bowl is supported on a stem carved as Hercules on a domed rocky base—surrounded by a silver-gilt border and similar rim of jeweled ivy leaves.

When the cup first arrived in England—long before being purchased by George IV (it changed hands several times before George got a hold of it), its appearance was so astounding that it was mentioned in the “Morning Post and Daily Advertiser” which noted:

RECENTLY brought from Vienna, and added to the Museum, an inconceivably beautiful effort of art.... consisting of a cup or vessel carved in ivory; the figure of Hercules dressed in the skin of the Nemean lion forms the handle or stem.

Mastery of Design: The Sixteen Leaf Necklace, 1880

Necklace or Horse Collar
India, Before 1880
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This handsome necklace heralds from India and was made before 1880. Sixteen leaf-shaped plaques are strung on red silk which has been covered with gold wire.

The front of each plaque is adorned in floral ornament in low relief. The design is decorated with turquoises and rock-crystal set over red foil to simulate rubies. The reverse of each of these sixteen plaques is chased with designs of flowering plants.
The necklace was purchased in India for the Victoria & Albert Museum by Casper Purdon Clarke in 1880-2. It has been suggested that this is not a necklace meant for a human, but rather, was made as a collar for a horse. Lucky horse!

Gifts of Grandeur: Prince Albert’s Bookmark, 1840

Book Mark of Gold and Gemstones
Given by the Duchess of Kent to Prince Albert at his 1840 Wedding to Queen Victoria
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This handsome bookmark was made in 1840 and was given as a gift by the Duchess of Kent (Queen Victoria’s Mother) to Prince Albert on the day of his marriage to Queen Victoria—February 10.

The gold bookmark was inserted into the prayer book which Prince Albert held on his wedding day. The structure of gold hangs from green silk ribbons. It is set with eight gemstones which spell out the name, “Victoria.” Let’s take a look at it, beginning with the deep red stone at the top, center.

V – Vermillion. This deep red stone is actually a garnet. At the time, it was commonly called “Vermeil” for vermillion as a description of its color. In modern jewelry terms, this can be quite confusing since the term now refers to silver which has been plated in a metallic blend of gold and other alloys. 

I – Jargoon. Yeah, I know. That doesn’t begin with an “I.” However, in 1840, a “J” was often used in place of an “I.” 

C – Chrysolite. Wow. This one actually means what it is and starts with the right letter. 

T – Turquoise. 

O – Opal 

R – Ruby 

I – Jargoon, again. By the way, this is a reddish-amber colored natural zircon. 

A – Amethyst

Mastery of Design: A Pendant by Sir Alfred Gilbert, 1890-1910

Pendant
Iron, Glass and Turquoise
Sir Alfred Gilbert
1890-1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This casual pendant of iron wire is set with turquoise and a glass bead. It’s the work of Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934) who is considered one of Britain’s most prominent turn of the Twentieth Century sculptors. Gilbert is best known for his aluminum figure of Eros which stands in Piccadilly Circus.

Gilbert’s passion for experimenting with metal led him to jewelry design. He created a series of informal pieces of jewelry like this one, largely from iron wire which he would set with inexpensive materials such as glass in addition to semiprecious stones and shell. These jewels were often given to family members as gifts and were cherished for their spontaneous, hand-wrought, and light-hearted look.

Gilbert, however, did occasionally create formal jewels from precious metals and stones, including the Mayoral Chain of the town of Preston and the presidential badges and chain for the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours—an organization of which he was an active member for his other pursuit of watercolor painting.

This piece dates between 1890 and 1900. 

History's Runway: The Ashbee Peacock Pendant and Chain, 1902

Chain and Pendant
Enamel, Gold and Persian Turquoise
Charles Robert Ashbee, 1902
Altered from its original design to include a different chain.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I think this jewel by the celebrated C.R. Ashbee is quite smashing and lovely.  But, then, I typically like the work of Ashbee.  Charles Robert Ashbee was a multi-talented gent, known for his immense energy.  He served as a defining figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement.

In 1888, Ashbee founded the Guild of Handicraft in the East End of London.  His goal was to resurrect traditional craft skills and offer employment to residents of a deprived area of the city. While Ashbee was trained originally as an architect, he is better known also for his highly innovative furniture, metalwork, silver and jewelry designs.

Like many of this period, one of Ashbee's favorite motifs was the peacock and he is known to have designed about a dozen peacock jewels in the years around 1900. Here, we see one such example of these jewels.  In this instance, the bird is decorated with colorful enamels, and surmounts an uncut turquoise.  The use of unusual, uncut stones was a hallmark of the Arts and Crafts movement.  Three matching Persian turquoises are set in the chain.

Reverse.

Gifts of Grandeur: The St. Petersburg Turquoise Snuffbox, 1820

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

Russian artisans have always excelled with the concept of the jewel-encrusted box. In the 1820s when the fashion for turquoise jewelry was at its apex in Europe, Russian jewelers adapted the look into a variety of small vessels such as this wee snuffbox from St. Petersburg.

This particular box was a new take on the trunk-shaped caskets which had been popular in Russia at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The shape has been elongated and studded with a beautiful coat of Persian turquoise. The box itself is constructed of gold while the stones are set in turquoise. A diamond-set thumbpiece completes the luxurious package.

This beauty is just one of the many treasures collected by Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde who formed one of the world's great decorative art collections. Arthur Gilbert donated this extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 and it has been housed at the V&A on public display for many years. 

Mastery of Design: The Townshend Deep Blue Turquoise and Diamond Ring, 1850-60

Turquoise Ring
from the Townshend Collection
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here’s another ring from the  collection of 154 gems bequeathed to the V&A by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, a cleric and poet. Again though the stone has been set into a ring, it was never meant to be worn.  The setting—which dates between 1850 and 1860--serves only to showcase the stone.

The central turquoise is of exceptional quality.  It has been surrounded by diamonds to accent the unusually deep color of the stone.  Turquoise naturally occurs in shades of pale blue through greenish blue to green—the blue color being caused by the presence of copper with green tints developing with the presence of iron.

The most valuable turquoise stones are those of the deepest color.  A deep sky blue is greatly prized.  This midnight blue, however, is truly rare and extremely valuable.  Few examples of turquoise this deep are known.

Turquoise is a porous stone and it must be handled with care.  It’s best that this incredibly rare stone was never worn.  The stone is prone discoloration by the absorption of oils from the skin or from perfume.  Compromising the superb depth of color here would have been a true crime against nature. 

Mastery of Design: The Countess Gautier Brooch, 1830

Brooch, 1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a beautiful brooch of gold set with an emerald, turquoises and topazes in the form of a basket of flowers. Though the maker’s mark is unidentifiable, a Paris warranty mark for 1819-38 is clearly seen.

Jewelry of the 1830s often represented Naturalistic themes. As the V&A’s curators puts it, “A love of nature was one of the most universal and respected sentiments in the 19th century.” This Naturalistic theme was influenced by the Romantic movement and the revived Rococo style.

This is a transitional design. Until about 1830, such designs were delicately stylized, but later, more exact representations of flowers, leaves, fruit and insects became the basis for more elaborate pieces. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Forget-Me-Not Demi-Parure, c. 1840

Parure
The British Museum

From The British Museum, we have this circa 1840 gold demi-parure set with turquoises and small diamonds in the from of sprays of Forget-Me-Knots.  The suite consists of a brooch and earrings.  These are the set at the top of the photo above.

Over time, owners of the suite added similar earrings and brooches which were made around the same time.  The entire suite was donated to The British Museum by Prof. John and Anne Hull Grundy in 1978.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Wild Jewel, c. 1590

"The Wild Jewel"
Turquoise Cameo of Elizabeth I set in gold with diamonds, rubies and pearls.
1590
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Known as “The Wild Jewel,” this pendant jewel in gold and enamel is set with diamonds and rubies and encloses a turquoise cameo of Queen Elizabeth I.  It is hung with pearls.

The jewel was made circa 1590 in England.  It was lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Special Loan Exhibition of 1862 by James.W. Wild.  Mr. Wild was closely connected to the Museum and was also the architect of the Bethnal Green Museum and of the V&A's Architectural Courts.

According to the tradition in the Wild family, the jewel, along with a lace christening robe, was given by Elizabeth I to a god-daughter of the family.  

History's Runway: The Cory Head Ornament, 1835

Ornament
England, 1835
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Click on image for detail.

This headpiece of gold, from the magnificent collection of Lady Cory, is set with amethysts, topazes, pearls, coral, turquoises and garnets. It was made in England in 1835.


The design takes the form of a trail of flowers, in three pieces, connected by rings and showcases the jewels that were most popular in the 1830s.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Uzbeck Clasp, 1800-1900

Clasp
Uzbekistan, c. 1800-1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Described in the early Twentieth Century accounts of the V&A as being from the Yemen district of Arabia, this handsome clasp was acquired by the V&A in 1910 and is thought to have been made in the early 1800s. Later curators concluded that the clasp was not made in Yemeni, but rather from Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Adorned with floral repoussé on the silver sheet which forms the backing, the clasp is pave set with turquoises—a main featured of Uzbek jewelry. Pendants of coral beads on silver wire contrast the brilliant blue. The center stone is actually yellow glass. 

Mastery of Design: Bracelet with a Miniature of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, 1836

Bracelet
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

A masterpiece of filigreed gold mounted with turquoise, this bracelet from 1836 boasts a watercolor on ivory miniature of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. The bracelet was given as a gift to Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, the mother of Princess Mary Adelaide and grandmother of Queen Mary (1867-1953). When the Duchess of Cambridge died, the bracelet, among many other jewels, was bequeathed to Queen Mary. 

The moulded gold bracelet is pierced with foliage and Greek key borders. The domed openwork cover is set with turquoise and contains the oval miniature of Princess Mary of Cambridge at about two years of age. She is wearing a white dress with blue sash and blue ribbons at the shoulders.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Gifts of Grandeur: A Pair of Boucheron Earclips, 1963

The Victoria & Albert Museum



In 1963, the famed jewelers at Boucheron created these earclips of gold, platinum, turquoises and diamonds. An elegant, timeless design, they could have fit in with any outfit of almost any time period, but they are clearly inspired by the jewels of the 1820s.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Ashbee Ship Brooch, 1903

The Victoria & Albert Museum

We have previously studied the Arts and Crafts silverwork of English jeweler Charles Robert Ashbee. Here, we see a brooch of gilded silver, gold, enamel and turquoises in his trademark style. This brooch, depicting a ship on stormy seas, was converted from a pendant which had previously been attached to a necklace

The original necklace has been made by Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft and featured many similar pendants which were hung like charms. The motif of the ship was a favorite of Ashbee's who repeated it frequently. 

Mastery of Design: The Chambers Rose Brooch, 1820-40

The Chambers Rose Brooch
The Victoria & Albert Museum

According to the V&A, “The diamonds in this brooch were said to have been taken from the turban of Tipu Sultan after his death at the battle of Seringapatam in 1799.” Well, that’s pretty snazzy.

Tipu Sultan was the ruler of the south Indian state of Mysore. He fought against the British as they extended their control in southern India. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, Captain Cochrane, one of the British officers, it is said, divided the sultan’s turban jewels and had them set in pieces of jewelry which he gave to his daughters.

The brooch of gold, set with diamonds and turquoises, features a floral design of a rose, forget-me-not, an oakleaf and acorn motifs. In the “Language of Flowers” which was prominent at the time, the rose motif symbolizes love while the oak would signified strength and longevity.

Art historians believe this piece was originally made as a pendant. A strand of hair in a locket at the reverse, suggests that, at one point, the brooch was intended as a wedding gift. The gems are set in six rosettes each with a diamond in the centre and six turquoises surrounding it. The rosettes are placed on an openwork background of oak leaves and acorns, surrounding a circular plaque with a relief pattern of a rose and oak leaf. The piece is marked with a ram’s head in relief which indicates the warranty mark for Paris, 1819-38.

The diamonds, rumored to have been those from the turban ornament of Tipu Sultan, have been thoroughly examined and scrutinized. The V&A tells us: 

“The diamonds have been examined and are Golconda diamonds. They are relatively small at approximately 0.2 carats and are all roughly polished into rose-cut forms. One has a large red inclusion, probably a garnet, visible under magnification. Red inclusions are considered unlucky in traditional Indian gemology…” 

When the brooch was given to the V&A in 1968, it came with a letter dated Feb 18th 1878 which says: 

"My dear Agnes The accompanying brooch I herewith give you as a keepsake not only for its intrinsic value, but of its history - Coming to me as a Legacy through the Honble Mrs Cochrane, whose daughter was my charge for some years, & whose father the Honble Capt Cochrane an officer in the memorable battle of Seringapatam shared the jewels all of first class taken in the Turban of Tippo Said [sic] - Capt Cochrane had 3 valuable necklaces & 3 brooches made of the same, In India, for his three daughters! --The Brooch accompanying this, represents the Rose the Shamrock & the Thistle. The Brilliants being of the very first water. -- I should advise care in wearing the same the pin not being I consider safe. 

Should you at some future time be inclined to part with it, I would like you to consider it as a Heirloom to your eldest daughter. In such a fulfilment of my wish you have the power in future circumstances to decide . 

It pains me to use my hands with this attack of Rheumatism for which I make excuse in not writing all I wish. 

Your ever affecte Aunt 

E A Steinchcomb 

For Mrs Agnes Chambers, Norwood Park, Southwell, Notts." 

Mastery of Design: The Convulvulus Brooch, 1835

This and all related images from:

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today's jewel is a Brooch in the form of a convulvulus flower made of gold with pavé-set turquoises and pearls. This combination of densely set turquoises and pearls is so indicative of jewelry design of the 1830s when this look was the epitome of fashion. This particular example comes from 1835.

Turquoise was given as a gift of fidelity while the imagery of the convolvulus flower was thought to symbolize "bonds" or "extinguished hopes."

Gifts of Grandeur: The Rose Glynn Bracelet, 1876

Bracelet, 1876
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a half-hoop bangle set with a rectangle of cabochon turquoises and a line of half-pearls. A glazed compartment on the inside of the hoop contains the remnants of a brown textile--obviously a souvenir of some significance which has been lost over time. 


This bangle was given by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) to Rose Riversdale Glyn on board HMS Serapis while on a royal tour of India. Edward had a taste for ladies and was known to offer extravagant gifts to win their (sometimes temporary) favor.

Besides, Miss Glynn was fortunate to receive this bracelet. Bracelets were the height of fashion starting in 1850 and bangles such as this were worn in stacks on both arms. A bangle of this nature was the perfect accessory for daytime wear. 

Mastery of Design: The DEAREST Bird, c. 1830

This and all related images
from The British Museum

Click to enlarge.

From The British Museum's Hull-Grundy Collection, this two-color gold comb was made around 1830 in Britain.  The comb is designed in the form of a leafy branch upon which is perched a bird with a ruby eye.  She carries a ring in her beak and is mounted on a trembler spring to give her movement.

The twig, at the central crest is set with a diamond, an emerald, an amethyst, a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire and a turquoise, which, as we know, in the language of jewels spells "DEAREST."  Gold foliage and turquoise-set forget-me-nots adorn the rest of the branch.

This is one in a collection of bird-themed romantic jewelry amassed by the Hull-Grundy family, itself a part of a fantastic parure.

Click images to "embiggen."

Mastery of Design: The Hull-Grundy Forget-Me-Not Tiara

Tiara
From the Hull Grundy Gift at The British Museum

Click image for detail.

Another brilliant piece from the Hull-Grundy Gift to The British Museum, we see this French-made tiara which was constructed of three-color gold.  The gold has been worked into elaborate swags of leaves and flowers.  These are surrounded by a large crest of forget-me-nots mounted in turquoises with diamond-set centers.

Originally, this piece was worn as a frontlet ornament.  In 1805, the French jewel was altered, probably in Italy, into its present form as a tiara.