Antique Pendant Made from a "Comet Brooch" with Diamonds in Gold &

Jewellery depicting celestial bodies and cosmic phenomena constitutes a distinct category in the history of jewellery. After all, it is not only flowers, plants, and animals that have been depicted in jewellery since the earliest times. Comets, too, appear time and again in historical jewellery! This pendant depicts the characteristic elongated shape of a comet. The head is formed by a round rosette of diamonds. At the center sits a larger oval diamond, surrounded by a dense wreath of small diamond roses. The stones are set in silver, while the back structure and the ornamental elements are crafted from gold. This combination of silver and gold is also found in other comet brooches from this period. The comet’s tail extends upward from the round diamond rosette. Two three-dimensional leaves form the transition to a narrow, curved gold ornament adorned with a richly detailed flower. The design thus interprets the appearance of a comet not in a naturalistic manner, but through the decorative language of late Georgian jewellery. The pendant—originally created as a brooch—was made in the years shortly after 1835. That year, Halley’s Comet had reappeared in the sky, and its return was followed with great interest throughout Europe. The design was not entirely new, however. Comet-shaped pieces of jewellery were already known from the late 18th century, but the spectacular return of Halley’s Comet helped them gain new popularity. An example dated around 1835 in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London shows that this type is also represented in major museum collections. At a later date, the brooch was reworked into a pendant. The loop present today made it possible to wear this small piece of jewellery on a chain. Our little comet is thus not only a charming piece of jewellery but also a testament to the enthusiasm with which people in the early 19th century observed the sky. See also a beautiful example in Ginny Reddington Dawes / Olivia Collings: Georgian Jewellery 1714–1830, Woodbridge 2007, pp. 186ff.

Schätzpreis:€980

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