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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection via The Royal Collection Trust Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
Dating to the early Seventeenth Century, this German pendant of gold, enamel and double-eye agate was first recorded in the Royal Collection in 1872.
On the obverse, an oval cabochon double-eye agate is set in a gold mount with an enamel scrollwork of deep and light blue with white spots. The double-eye agate set in this frame is not original to the piece. A later owner of the pendant replaced the original stone which was likely a cameo.
The pendant was found in a burial site, having been buried at some point after it's creation in the early Seventeenth Century. It's possible that the original stone or cameo was damaged while being buried or that the original centerpiece was replaced with the double-eye agate as it was intended as an amulet to ward off "The Evil Eye" an to protect against various ailments. Another later addition to the piece was the small loop at the bottom which would allow the suspension of another drop or pendant or to enable the piece to be sewn into a garment.
The reverse of the piece is likely unchanged from its original pre-burial form. The back shows a central leaf-shape surrounded by scrolls in opaque dark-blue, light-blue and translucent green and red enamel. These enamels are very weathered and pitted. Here, the white spots on the surface aren't intentional decoration, but rather deposits of calcium carbonate which resulted from having been buried in the earth.
Despite its age and having been buried, the piece is in remarkably good condition. The foil behind the enamels is still intact and the color of the remaining enamel is quite bright and lustrous.
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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection via The Royal Collection Trust Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
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