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Antique Double-Sided Octagonal Pendant with Verre Églomisé

Price:$28,000

About the Item

PENDANT WITH THE CRUCIFIXION AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Italy (Lombardy), c. 1550–80 Silver rock crystal, gold foil, verre églomisé Weight 23.7 grams; dimensions 47 × 32 × 10 mm Double-sided octagonal pendant with two verre églomisé plaques made of rock crystal with beveled edges, backed with gold foil and engraved and painted from the reverse. The obverse with a Crucifixion scene with the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist, the reverse with John the Baptist kneeling in a landscape and holding a staff. Both framed in gold borders with a red and gold dotted frieze. The plaques are held in a silver frame with pendant loop and engraved foliate settings. On each side of this pendant, an individual octagonal stone has been faceted and beveled to make an integral frame for a picture that is painted on its reverse. The technique of verre églomisé, deployed here in a full range of colors, is used to virtuoso effect. The “frame” is created with gold leaf. But first (in reverse painting) an inner border was articulated in red and green pigment. Within this “frame” on each side of this jewel is a tiny illusionistic scene painted with great delicacy (with, again, each color and detail laid down in reverse order). In the final result, the sense of looking into a deep space is amplified by the recessive colors of the landscape in contrast to the frame which sparkles and changes tone depending on the angle at which the light strikes the object. The effect can only be called scintillating. The two subjects presented on the pendant are the Crucifixion and John the Baptist. The portrait of John in particular can be compared to the depiction of the same saint on a pendant in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In both pendants, the rock crystal is faceted and a fictive frame as well as the scene are painted in verre églomisé. The New York jewel has what is thought to be a Spanish setting, as opposed to the Italian origin of this piece’s setting. The strong similarities in the reverse-painted crystals speak to the international commonalities in high-quality jewels made for courts, although it is also possible that ready-painted rock crystal octagons were traded internationally. Unlike the John in the New York pendant, who stands holding a tiny lamb on a book, this John actively proclaims his prophecy of Christ’s sacrifice “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36), with these words foretelling Christ’s sacrifice. This John is kneeling and pointing, or rather “blessing” toward the right. By this means, the artist elegantly unites the two sides of the pendant, urging the viewer to turn it to see what John is indicating. As the devotee does so, he or she sees on the opposite side, the Crucifixion, where Christ nods to the left acknowledging both his mother, who stands to his side, and perhaps John (on the opposite side) as well. Christ’s head is illuminated with a golden rayed halo, golden hair, and a golden crown of thorns. The jewel is set in a simple silver setting that allows the paintings to shine. In contrast, the New York example’s more elaborate setting obscures the effect of the golden rock crystal frame. Damage has unfortunately smeared some of the fine details in the Crucifixion. Nevertheless, the perfection of the painting of John the Baptist compensates for these losses. Comparisons and Literature: This fine painting on a miniature scale in verre églomisé with a generous use of gold foil and deep red and blue colors is typical for the Lombardy region beginning in the latter half of the sixteenth century, see Ryser/Salmen 1997, pp. 68 ff. For the technique, see Ryser 1991, pp. 13 ff. The plaques are from this early period. Pendants with similar verre églomisé scenes of the Crucifixion can be found in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (Scarisbrick 1978, nos. 498-99); Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich (Knaipp 1988, p. 46); Museo Regionale Pepoli, Trapani (di Natale 1989, fig. 37); for John the Baptist, see Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 17.190.908).

Metal:
Silver
Stone:
Rock Crystal
Stone Cut:
Mixed Cut
Weight:
23.7 g
Dimensions:
Width: 32 in (812.8 mm)Depth: 10 in (254 mm)Length: 47 in (1,193.8 mm)
Style:
Medieval
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
16th Century
Date of Manufacture:
c. 1550-1580
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
Seller: J-350421stDibs: LU2334214158062

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