- Museum number
- 1978,1002.427
- Description
-
Necklace of a woven gold chain of circular section with five pendants on barrel-links set with coral cameos, alternating with four coral rod and bead pendants and coral bead spacers, with a fastening in the form of an S-loop. The cameos are carved in high relief with the female heads of seasons, their gold settings are flanked by a single gold bead with a beaded triangle below. The cameos are held in place by wire loops at the back and the central cameo bears an applied trade label. Image below.
- Production date
-
1860-1880 (circa;cameo)
-
1870-1878 (circa;setting)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 4.20 centimetres (central pendant)
-
Length: 40 centimetres (chain)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Text from catalogue of Hull Grundy Gift (Gere et al 1984) no. 964:
The Neapolitan jeweller, Giuliano, was established in London at Castellani's expense some time before 1860, the date at which Giuliano is first recorded in a workshop at 13 Frith Street, Soho. Giuliano registered his own mark with Goldsmiths' Hall in 1863 and consequently was manufacturing by then, but it is not known when the trade label that occurs on this piece was first used. He acquired his own premises at 115 Piccadilly in 1874 and is known to have supplied other retailers before this date, and there is evidence to suggest that he and others imported jewellery from Italy for resale in England. He never exhibited under his own name and it is therefore not surprising to find designs known to have been produced by Giuliano in the exhibition displays of other firms. Although the use of the small loops holding the cameos in place at the back is a recurring feature of the Castellani workshop (see 921, 922, 985, and 986), it was certainly adopted by other workshops.
An exactly similar necklace was exhibited by Castellani at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878 and is illustrated in 'The Art Journal'.Illustrated Catalogue, p. 166 (Fig. 79). Another version of this necklace with intaglios instead of cameos was shown by Castellani at the Weltausstellung in Vienna in 1873 and is illustrated in 'L'Esposizione Universale di Vienna illustrata' (1873, p. 336).
This type of necklace derives from fringe necklaces of the classical world set with gems or scarabs in similar twisted-wire settings with triangles of grainwork; the Castellani family owned examples in their collection of ancient jewellery (see F. Marshall 1911, no.2273, for a scarab necklace acquired in 1872 from the Castellani collection, with comparable settings. See also 965, 957). (Judy Rudoe)
Supplement to catalogue entry:
A necklace of similar design but with a complete fringe of coral cameos, rather than just 5 central pendants, and with gold instead of coral spacer beads, was sold by Skinner, Boston,17 June 2003, apparently by Giacinto Melillo. (Judy Rudoe)
- Location
- On display (G47/dc11)
- Acquisition date
- 1978-1981
- Acquisition notes
- S J Phillips, 139 New Bond Street, London W1. Original invoice for £775 to Anne Hull Grundy dated 13.3.1972, described as 'Coral cameo necklace by Guiliano'. Note by Chalotte Gere 'charged with "cornelian gold and enamel bracelet by Castellani" for £2,000 (?not in BM)'.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1978,1002.427
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: HG.427 (masterlist number)
