Castellani (Attr.) Etruscan Necklace and Brooch, Lava & Gold, Italy, circa 1850

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Castellani (Attr.) Etruscan Necklace and Brooch, Lava & Gold, Italy, circa 1850

About the Item

From the 1820s onwards, Etruscan jewellery had been found in excavations in Italy – just at a time when the art and culture of antiquity was all the rage, and classical studies were part of every higher education. Alexandrine Bonaparte, Princess of Canino, was known to wear original Etruscan pieces that had been discovered on the grounds of her country house near Rome. But yet, the pieces found were few, and the demand for them was high: only very few wealthy ladies could afford to own original, centuries old Etruscan jewellery. Thus, goldsmiths soon followed the call of fashion and began to design jewellery in that ancient style. In Rome, it was the company Castellani which should grow famous beyond the borders of Italy: Fortunato Pio Castellani and his sons researched the forms and shapes of ancient Etruscan jewellery and soon supplied the noble houses of Europe with fine jewellery in the Etruscan Revival style. The demi-parure at hand, consisting of a brooch and necklace, shares many of the attributes that also mark the pieces of their famous workshop. Both pieces of jewellery combine cameos carved of black stone, often called Vesuvian lava, with high karat gold. On the woven chain of gold, eleven portraits of ancient deities are shown, alternating with pendulous amphoras. Two flat, carved reliefs make up the elegant clasp. The brooch shows a ram's head and golden amphoras, as well as a flat relief with the carved image of a tortoise. The tortoise in the brooch is a nod to the classical adage "festina lente", or "make haste slowly", which is said to have been employed by figures as legendary as Emperor Augustus and Emperor Titus. This symbol of rationality is contrasted with the ram's head: it takes us to the sensual side of antiquity. The world of classical deities, much like that of man, was not merely ruled by reason, but also by intrigues and rancours, by feasts and wine. Shown as carved depictions in 'Vesuvian lava' on the necklace are Hercules with his club, Juno the goddess of marriage, Apollo with his wavy hair, Bacchus the god of wine, and Flora with a wreath of flowers. It's an illustrous round in which the wearer of this spectacular necklace finds themselves. Neither the brooch nor the necklace is signed. Yet the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan has a very similar set of necklace and brooch in their inventory (no. 798-800), pieces which have been passed down to the museum from the estate of the mother of Conte Pezzoli, which she had purchased and worn in her years of widowhood between 1833 and 1859. The museum attributes the pieces to Fortunato Pio Castellani, and we agree with this attribution. Please see Maria Teresa Balboni Brizza/Annalisa Zanni: Gioielli. Museo Poldi Pezzoli Milano. Le Guide del Museo, Turin 1996, pp. 106 ff., cat. no. 28. The respective pages are also pictured here in the listing. The workshop of Castellani was known to have produced several pieces with cameos, using antique as well as newly cut ones, and 'Vesuvian lava' was among the materials used. We discovered the necklace and brooch in the UK, to where the Castellani family is known to have had business contacts early on. One of their employees, Carlo Giuliano, even opened a branch in the UK. For further reading on Castellani's cameo jewellery, we recommend Lucia Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli: Jewels with Cameos and Intaglios. The Castellani and Roman Gem Carvers, in: Susan Weber Soros/Stefani Walker (Hg.): Castallani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, New Haven/London 2004, pp. 102–127. MATERIALS Carved stone, so-called 'Vesuvian lava' Gold 750/000, resp. 18 karat DIMENSIONS Length of necklace 38.5 cm / 15.16 in The cameos approx. 2.0 x 2.8 cm each / 0.79 x 1.1 in Brooch 5,4x 5,5 cm / 2.13 x 2.17 in CERTIFICATE The set will be delivered with our house certificate, issued by an art historian.

Creator:
Fortunato Pio Castellani (attributed)
Metal:
18k Gold,Yellow Gold
Weight:
65.7 g
Style:
Etruscan Revival
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1850-1859
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1850
Condition:
Some few old repairs to the amphoras and the loop connecting one of the cameos to the necklace; one part of the clasp re-attached in older times; some chips to the back of the cameos; slight signs of wear to the gold.
Seller Location:
Berlin, DE
Reference Number:
Seller: 19-0706/71stDibs: LU156426828491