Mastery of Design: The Piedmont Stomacher Pendant, 1800-1850

Pendant
Piedmont, Italy
The Victoria & Albert Museum

While this piece looks like a traditional stomacher, it’s actually meant to act as a pendant. Made in Piedmont Italy, the piece shows the ingenuity of the early Nineteenth Century Italian jeweler.

Since most Italian women loved the beauty of heavy gold jewelry, Italian jewelers found ways to make their wares look substantial while keeping the cost relatively modest. This piece looks quite heavy, but it’s actually made from a thin sheet of hold. The stones are a bit of trickery as well. While they look like whole gems, they are, in reality a very thin sliver of garnet which has been set into a piece of transparent glass which serves to spread the color and add sparkle. This sort of stone is called a “doublet.”

By this point in fashion history, the stomacher favored by the European aristocracy during the eighteenth century, had fallen out of use except in the royal courts. Softer fabric stomachers with embroidery were adorning that triangle-shaped section (below the bust and pointing over the stomach) on the bodices of ladies’ gowns. However, the shape of a stomacher was still considered quite fashionable and the silhouette found its way into pendants like this one. These were traditionally worn, suspended from velvet or silk ribbons.

This jewel was purchased by the Italian jewelry firm of Castellani to add to their collection of Italian Peasant Jewelry which was displayed at the 1867 International Exhibition in Paris. The pendant is made up of five sections and ends in a stylized cross.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Hull Grundy Garnet Aigrette, c. 1770

This and all related images from The British Museum

With its trembler bird which would have quivered as the wearer of this jewel walked, this aigrette of rich garnets set in gilt silver would have been the height of fashion in the mid Seventeenth Century when it was made.  

Another jewel from the Hull Grundy Gift to The British Museum, this aigrette is one of three similar pieces in the collection.

Click Image to Enlarge

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Hopefully, this week, I'll get back on the usual schedule with everything, including "A Recipe for Punch."  For now, let's look at this...

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Mastery of Design: A Royal Scent Bottle

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

Little is known about this hardstone scent bottle from the Royal Collection.  Its date of creation is uncertain, and no one is quite sure from where it came.  It's likely, however, that Queen Mary added it to the Royal Collection since it's the sort of thing that was right up her alley.  

The bottle of carved blue-green agate is oval in section and meant to hold a fragrance.  It tapers to the gold base and the neck is mounted with four circle link chains from which it is meant to hand.  Gold mounts in floral arrangements are set with garnets, coral, a pearl and a diamond.  The stopper is fitted with garnet flower-heads.  

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: The Hull-Grundy Garnet and Pearl Necklace

Garnet and Seed-Pearl Necklace
Circa 1830
The Hull-Grundy Bequest
This and all related images from:
The British Museum

A delicate necklace, designed in the form of leafy entwined flowers, this work of seed-pearls and gold-set diamonds was made in England in the 1830s in the Naturalistic style which was rising in fashion at the time.


Given to The British Museum as part of the Hull-Grundy bequest, the necklace is displayed in its original presentation case though the satin lining of the lid was replaced in the 1970s. 

Mastery of Design: The Garnet Fishing Locket, Eighteenth Century

Memorial Locket
Eighteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Human hair had long been employed in the making of sentimental jewelry, usually for memorial purposes, but sometimes to mark a deep love for someone still living.  By the Eighteenth Century, jewelers, and even amateurs, had mastered the art of using hair in jewelry and the medium took on a new prominence—forming the centerpiece of a jewel.  

This drop-shaped gold frame features an openwork bow which has been set with garnets.  The frame encloses a painting on ivory which is adorned with pieces of hair to create the pattern of a man fishing.  The reverse of the piece is set with agate

This piece was probably made as a memorial.  It comes from England and is rather difficult to date.  Most likely, it was created in the Eighteenth Century given the skill with which the hair was incorporated into the painting.

Unfolding Pictures: A Chinese Feather Fan, 1911-1930

Feather Fan
China, 1911-1930
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Chinese have been producing fans from feathers for over 2000 years. These fans, with their dramatic tufts of colorful feathers, most often featured long handles made of bamboo or wood though specialty examples were made for high-ranking people with handles of ivory, jade or other carved hard-stone.

This example was actually made in modern times during a time when feathers were en vogue with contemporary fashions. Made between 1911 and 1930, this fan nods at Chinese antiquity with its brightly-colored fathers and gleaming handle made of carved hard-stone and glass adorned with a geometric pattern based on ancient Chinese bronzes (Ancient Chinese Bronzes, huh?). Two small red stones, possibly garnets, have been mounted on either side of the handle.

The fan was likely made in China for export to the U.K. where the Art Deco fashions dictated a renewed interest in the geometry of the Eastern arts. The color palette indicates that the fan would not have been intended for use by a Chinese woman, but rather a wealthy European lady whose tastes tended toward the trendy gold and brown colors which often dominated accessories of the era.

Donated by Lady Logan from the collection of her parents, Robert and Alexandra Everts, the fan is an excellent example of the kinds of Asian accessories which were in demand in the 1920s.

Mastery of Design: A German Mother-of-Pearl and Jeweled Box, 1730-1740

Box
German, 1730-1740
Mother-of-Pearl, Gold, Diamonds, Rubies, Hyacinth, Emeralds
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Germany for export to Austria between 1730 and 1740, this box was designed to hold small personal items. Such boxes were the pinnacle of opulence and were considered symbols of enormous wealth and social standing. 

This particular box is crafted from mother-of-pearl, mounted in piqué with gold, and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, rubies, emeralds, jacinth (hyacinth) and garnets. It was exported from Vienna to England in 1806 where it was quickly appreciated for its workmanship and reliance on organic design themes. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Comb, 1900

Comb
Henry Wilson, 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This comb/hair ornament of silver has been neatly set with garnets along the head of the comb which is decorated with a pierced medallion of a crab--the symbol of the zodialogical sign Cancer.

This is the work of Henry Wilson whose jewelry is distinctive for its rich and unique color combinations and sculptural qualities. Wilson was a notable Arts and Crafts designer, and like many of his contemporaries, originally trained as an architect. 

Mastery of Design: The Plaid Brooch, 1848

The Plaid Brooch
Commissioned by Prince Albert
Scotland, 1848
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

A work of cairngorm (a form of quartz native to Scotland), gold, enamel, seed pearls and garnets, this handsome brooch is called “The Plaid Brooch.” It dates to about 1848 and was commissioned by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. The Prince Consort presented the brooch to his Royal wife in November 21, 1848. The cairngorm had been collected by Prince Albert himself while on a walk with the Queen at Lochnagar, the highest mountain near Balmoral, in September 1848.

The brooch was intended to record their bravery in attempting to climb the mountain, even in the most inclement weather and fog. Furthermore, it was meant as a gift to the Queen from Prince Albert to celebrate the birthday of Princess Victoria.

Mastery of Design: The David Thomas Necklace and Chain, 1967-8

Pendant/Brooch and Chain
David Thomas, 1967-8
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In 1960s London, fashions were changing in dynamic and dramatic new ways. This contemporary style found its way to the world of jewelry as well and launched a visual philosophy amongst modern jewelers which focused on asymmetrical contours, splintered surfaces, textured gold and unusual gemstones often left rough or in crystal form.

One of the most prominent proponents of this new London style was David Thomas (born 1938).  Thomas studied at Twickenham School of Art and the Royal College of Art, and was one of the several innovative young jewelers who were included in the “International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery 1890-1961”held at Goldsmiths' Hall in 1961.

This magnificent necklace was commissioned from him by the celebrated model Ann Mollo, who is pictured wearing this pendant as a brooch in her portrait of 1969 by photographer Michael Seymour in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.

We can see Thomas’ aesthetic with this pendant with a raised central cluster of irregular topaz crystals.  From these radiate individually-applied gold wires, some with granular decoration, which are scattered among narrow rectangular garnets.

On the back of the pendant is a hook to attach the chain, and, also, a pin allowing the piece to be worn as a brooch. The chain is comprised of long alternating links in two distinct patterns.

Mastery of Design: The Dunne "Graces" Brooch, c. 1850

Click image to enlarge.

Cameo Brooch
England, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A brooch of shell cameo, this jewel was designed to hold a lock or plait of hair, or possibly an image, in the glazed compartment at the reverse. Most likely, it was made as a memorial jewel, but it could have been intended as a sentimental gift between lovers or friends.

The cameo depicts a scene of The Three Graces. Mounted in gold, the cameo is set with garnets. It was made in England around 1850 by a now unknown maker.  it was given to the V&A by Miss Edith Dunne.  

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Victoria’s 1849 Christmas Brooch

Brooch, 1849
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This simple and elegant brooch was purchased by Prince Albert and presented to Queen Victoria at Christmas 1849. In the Royal Collection there exists a receipt for payment for two brooches dated 14 January 1850, £14—this was one of the two.

The brooch was acquired during the royal visit to Dublin in August 1849. The design of the piece was based on an ancient prototype and demonstrates the revived interest in Celtic history that was developing at the time.

Prince Albert selected the brooch expressly to show royal patronage of the Irish jewelry trade and was created by West & Son, one of the largest jewelers at the time in Dublin. Set with garnets, the brooch mimics Celtic knot-work.

Mastery of Design: A Bohemian Garnet Hair Ornament, c. 1830

Garnet Hair Ornament
The British Museum

Imagine an elegant ballroom, flickering in the light of candles held in chandeliers and girandoles dripping in crystals.  A lady nods a greeting to you.  Nestled in the cascades of curls which form her upswept coiffure is this ornament, a fiery shower of crimson sparks from a foliate spray.


This gold hair ornament is set with briolette-cut garnet drops and pearls hung from eight gold volutes set behind a rose gold ribbon which is also mounted with garnets.  It was made in Bohemia (or possibly Austria) circa 1830 and was collected by Professor John and Anne Hull Grundy who donated their important collection of jewels to the British Museum in 1978.




So...do you like garnets?  Do you like mysteries?  Drama?  Reading?  Me?  Do you like me?

Have you read my first novel, The Garnet Red?  I wrote it many years ago.  It even ties into the Mr. Punch stories.

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As you know, I don't hawk a lot of things here.  I keep the self-promotion to the bare minimum.  But...go on...buy a book, so I can keep doing this, and keep feeding the dog and the puppets and the cats...  

Object of the Day, Museum Editionl: The Marel Vase and Cover, 1839

Vase and Cover
Marrel Freres, 1839
The Victoria & Albert Museum

With cast plaques depicting the four seasons inset into its foot, this silver, Renaissance-style footed-vase and cover is decorated in the Mannerist style which had been popular at the Fontainebleau around 1530. Furthermore, it’s clearly imitating the work of Bernard Palissy. However, having been made in 1839, it invariably is adorned with the hallmarks of that period—naturalistic clusters of grapes, frogs, lizards and other such stuff. It’s a unique blend of Sixteenth-Century Mannerism and Nineteenth-Century Naturalism.

The vase was exhibited at the Expostion des Produits de l'industrie in Paris in 1839, and then, at the Great Exhibition of 1851 where it was purchased for £100 to be added to the collection of the new South Kensington Museum (later named the Victoria and Albert Museum). The vase’s maker, the Parisian firm of Marrel Frères, was awarded a Council Medal, the highest honor.

The awards council described the piece as, “very elegant and playful in the general form, and well executed; the enameled decoration, though rather thin in character, and in parts not well distributed, is beautifully drawn.”

John Charles Robinson (1824-1913), the Curator of the Museum of Manufactures at Marlborough House Museum (part of the collection which would become the South Kensington Museum, and, then, the V&A) in 1853 said of this vase:

“Although not an inelegant object, there is a certain thinness and poverty in the ornamentation, contrasting most forcibly, for instance with the massive richness of the previous example [a sixteenth-century chalice]. As a specimen of careful and dextrous workmanship, however, this leaves nothing to be desired; it is likewise in all its parts consistently treated in the true direction of the material. On the whole a more characteristic specimen of French taste in goldsmiths' work, as displayed in 1851, could not have been selected.” In short, he liked it.

The silver vessel and its cover are decorated with arabesques in translucent blue enamel and set with cabochon garnets mounted inside the applied cartouches. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Opal Heart, 1875

Brooch of opal, demantoid garnet and diamonds, c. 1875
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A symbol of love, this heart-shaped brooch would have been a suitable gift of affection. In the mid-Nineteenth Century, such symbols were considered appropriate gifts during a courtship. Jewels in the shape of hearts, cupids, flowers, hands, anchors, knots, birds, or musical instruments each had special meanings, but ultimately conveyed a romantic interest, just as they do today.

This lovely piece is crafted in gold with opal, tsavorite or green demantoid garnets and diamonds. It’s provenance is unknown, but it has been speculated as having been made in the U.S. or, possible, Central Europe. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Mastery of Design: The Hull-Grundy Garnet and Pearl Necklace

Garnet and Seed-Pearl Necklace
Circa 1830
The Hull-Grundy Bequest
This and all related images from:
The British Museum

A delicate necklace, designed in the form of leafy entwined flowers, this work of seed-pearls and gold-set diamonds was made in England in the 1830s in the Naturalistic style which was rising in fashion at the time.


Given to The British Museum as part of the Hull-Grundy bequest, the necklace is displayed in its original presentation case though the satin lining of the lid was replaced in the 1970s.

History's Runway: The David Thomas Topaz and Garnet Pendant, 1967

Pendant/Brooch
David Thomas, 1967
The Victoria & Albert Museum

As fashions changed in the 1960s, jewelry designers played with conventional and traditional forms to make unusual pieces which were meant to be wearable art. London was a center for such designers and David Thomas (born 1938) was among the leaders of this new approach to jewelry design.

Here we see an example of Thomas’ cutting-edge work. This pendant (can also be worn as a brooch) features a raised central cluster of irregular topaz crystals. From these, individually-applied gold wires radiate--some of these are adorned with a granular decoration. These are peppered with narrow, rectangular garnets.