18th-century jewellery

18th Century, jewellery

  • Box, inside is a miniature by Jean Petitot (the Younger)

    <p> Box, inside is a miniature by Jean Petitot (the Younger), about 1745. Museum no. HH.458-1948. From Ham House, Richmond-upon-Thames. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Box
    Maker unknown
    Inside is a miniature by Jean Petitot (the Younger)
    England
    About 1745
    Gold set with an enamelled plaque
    Length 5.9 cm
    Museum no. HH.458-1948
    From Ham House, Richmond-upon-Thames
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    This gold box is set with an enamelled plaque, perhaps after a composition by Nicolas Poussin. Inside is a miniature by Petitot, perhaps of Louis XIV as a child.

  • Box containing a watch, watch movement Signed 'Fres Wiss &amp; Amalric'

    <p> Box containing a watch, watch movement Signed &#39;Fres Wiss &amp; Amalric&#39;, mark &#39;DMC crowned&#39;, about 1780. Museum no. 898:1-3-1882. Ex Jones Collection. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Box containing a watch
    Watch movement Signed 'Fres Wiss & Amalric'
    Mark 'DMC crowned'
    Geneva, Switzerland
    About 1780
    Gold, set with enamelled plaques
    Length 7.8 cm
    Museum no. 898:1-3-1882
    ex Jones Collection
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    Varicoloured gold, set with enamelled plaques with a watch inserted in the lid and a musical box in the bottom, on the lid a fishing scene after a painting by Francois Boucher engraved in 1742 by Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet.

  • Bridal crown (brudkrona), 18th or 19th century. Museum no. 1354-1873

    <p> Bridal crown (brudkrona), 18th or 19th century. Museum no. 1354-1873. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Bridal crown (brudkrona)
    Maker unknown
    Sweden
    18th or 19th century
    Silver partly gilt
    Height 9.6 cm
    Museum no. 1354-1873
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    This small silver-gilt bridal crown has six upright openwork elements of renaissance inspiration, joined together at the top by a ring of silver-gilt wire, with applied winged angel's heads. There are numerous pendant leaves on all parts. The band at the base is decorated with pyramidal points and more winged angel heads in silver.

    Throughout the world brides wear special jewellery, such as tiaras or crowns, to reflect this. In Scandinavia, bridal crowns are the most spectacular part of the wedding jewellery. Their design is based on medieval royal originals, and they are made of heavy silver, often gilded.

    In Sweden all brides wore some kind of special headdress. Gilded silver crowns were worn particularly in the east of the country, but crowns made of cloth, richly decorated with ribbons, beads, and metallic lace, were also common. Swedish bridal crowns were originally full-size, but during the 18th century they became smaller, and were worn on the top of the head.

    Bridal crowns were always expensive. The bride usually hired her crown, as few families were rich enough to own their own. In Sweden most were owned by the parish church. This tradition dates from the time when church weddings were not compulsory. The church provided rich crowns to encourage people to marry there.

    The renaissance decoration of this crown is typical of Swedish crowns of the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the motifs used, such as angel's heads with wings, and leaf pendants, are also found on other pieces of Swedish traditional jewellery. It was bought for £9 at the International Exhibition, London, 1872.

  • Clasp (poukla), front (above) and back (below)

    <p> Clasp (poukla), front (above) and back (below), 18th century. Museum no. 1525&amp;A-1888. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Clasp (poukla)
    Front (above) and back (below)
    Maker unknown
    Cyprus
    18th century
    Silver-gilt comma-shaped belt clasp (poukla) with enamel and pastes
    Width 26.5 cm
    Museum no. 1525&A-1888
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    This two-part comma-shaped belt clasp is decorated with predominately green polychromatic enamels riveted to the base and is inset with red and green coloured glass.  The outer border of the enamel is in foliate scrolls, with an inner circle of six-petal rosettes and a central boss enhanced with seed pearls and a single clear paste.

  • Gold Box, chased on the lid with a scene of Bacchus and Ariadne

    <p> Gold Box, chased on the lid with a scene of Bacchus and Ariadne, with a miniature painting of Diana and Callisto inside. Decorated by Augustin Heckel, about 1730. Museum no. 61-1871. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Gold Box
    Chased on the lid with a scene of Bacchus and Ariadne, with a miniature painting of Diana and Callisto inside
    Decorated by Augustin Heckel (about 1690-1770) after a painting by Sebastiano Conca
    On the base are the arms of Carmichael, for John, Viscount of Inglisberry and Nemphlar
    England
    About 1730
    Length 9.1 cm
    Museum no. 61-1871
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

  • Ring, 1792. Museum no. M.162-1962

    <p> Ring, 1792. Museum no. M.162-1962. &copy; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London</p>

    Ring
    Maker unknown
    England
    1792
    Height 3 cm
    Museum no. M.162-1962
    © Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    This mourning ring was made to commemorate the death of a child, whose brief life is symbolised by the drooping rosebud on the left-hand side of the plant. According to the inscription, the child was called Butterfield Harrison and died on 14 March 1792 aged 2 years 9 months and 14 days. Although black is the colour most usually associated with mourning, white was used for children and sometimes for the unmarried.