- Museum number
- 1991,0701.1
- Description
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Pendant; gold and enamel; of curvilinear form; comprising an upper winged element from which hangs a pendant set with a blister pearl, the upper part decorated with ombré enamel in salmon pink; pendant hangs on original gold chain; marks stamped on reverse.
- Production date
- 1898-1900 (designed circa)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Text from J. Rudoe, 'Decorative Arts 1850-1950. A catalogue of the British Museum collection'. 1994, no. 373, (Acquisitions 1991-1993)
Colonna was one of the major designers for Bing's Maison de l'Art Nouveau. From 1898 to 1900 he designed furniture, metalwork and ceramics. The ceramics were made in Limoges, but the furniture and metalwork were produced in Bing's own workshops. In the case of this pendant and chain, the machine made chain was presumably bought in and stamped with Bing's mark. There is no doubt that Collonna's bold curvelinear forms owe a significant debt to Van de Velde, who had worked for Bing before Colonna's arrival.
Harry Powell may have purchased the pendant for his wife either directly from Bing in Paris or at the Turin Exhibition of 1902. For the earliest contemporary illustration of a pendant of this design, see V. Pica, 'L'arte decorativa all'Esposizione di Torino', Bergamo 1902, 143, where it is shown amonst the objects from the Maison de l'Art Nouveau at the Turin Exhibition. Powell & Sons were represented at the Turin exhibition (see 'Decorative Arts 1850-1950', Rudoe 1991. Cat. 236). For another pendant of the same design, see M.E. Eidelberg, 'Colonna', exhibition catalogue. The Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, USA. 1983, 43, fig. E. For further examples of Colonna's jewellery, see Eidelberg, op. cit. and G.P. Weisberg, 'Art Nouveau Bing: Paris Style 1900' New York 1986, 150 and 194 (in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris). Examples are also held by the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Cologne, and by museums in Hamburg and Karlesrühe. Colonna's jewels were widely illustrated in contemporary publications, for example Die Kunst 2, 1899-1900, 14-15, 104, 420-25; R. Rücklin, Das Schmuckbuch, 1901, pls. 171-2, and H. Vever, 'La bijouterie francaise au XIXe ciècle', vol. 3, Paris 1908.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- A small amount of the enamel is missing.
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Turin Exhibition (1902)
- Acquisition date
- 1991
- Acquisition notes
- Purchased at Turin Exhibition of 1902 by Harry Powell for his wife, the donor's grandmother.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1991,0701.1
