Pendant (Italy)

Paris-born Ernesto Pierret worked in Rome for more than fifty years until his death in 1898. He was considered one of the finest jewelers in the Etruscan style, based on the newly discovered tombs—filled with precious jewels and other objects—of ancient Italian civilizations. Due to continuing archaeological excavations since the mid-eighteenth century, much of Europe saw a vogue for revival styles, whereby designers mimicked the styles and production methods of antiques. By the mid-nineteenth century, in jewelry design, historically accurate Renaissance revival pieces were highly desirable. Pierret's brooch was likely not based on an existing piece, however, but instead on a design by sixteenth-century Flemish jeweler Hans Collaert. Collaert’s hometown of Antwerp was an artistic center and the southern Netherlands’ leading center for jewelry production. In 1573, his son produced engravings of the father’s designs, publishing them as sets, following a new custom that arose, leading the father to become one of the region’s most influential jewelers. This pendant then, unites two separate regions across time, both of which were known for their skilled jewelry designs and techniques.

Pendant (Italy); Designed by Hans Collaert the Elder (Flemish, ca. 1530 - 1581); Ernesto Pierret (French, b. 1824); Engraved by Hans Collaert II (Flemish, 1560 - 1628); gold, enamel, rubies, sapphires, pearls; H x W: 7.3 x 4.4 cm (2 7/8 x 1 3/4 in.); Gift of Marian Hague; 1959-84-1