Maine Antique Digest, December 2016

36-CS Maine Antique Digest, December 2016

FEATURE -

36-E

Past Is Present:

Revival Jewelry

at the

Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston

ntique jewelry lovers, mark your calendars!

The 70-object exhibition

Past Is Present:

Revival Jewelry

will be on view in the Rita

J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Room

from February 14, 2017, to August 19, 2018, at the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The display

“explores jewelers’ long-standing tradition of look-

ing to the past for inspiration—whether by directly

copying or selectively choosing motifs. The prac-

tice became popular in the 19th century, as design-

ers like Castellani, Giacinto Melillo, and Eugene

Fontenay began reviving examples of ancient orna-

ments, newly unearthed in archaeological excavations.”

Exploring more than 4000 years of jewelry history

through both ancient and revival examples—archaeo-

logical, Classical, Egyptian, and Renaissance—from the

19th to the 21st century, the exhibition includes these

highlights: “an 1850s embellished gold brooch by Cas-

tellani; a Renaissance Revival neck ornament (1900-04)

designed for Tiffany & Co.; a 1980s Bulgari necklace

adorned with Macedonian coins; and a 2002 Akelo

pendant that emulates an ancient Etruscan granulation

technique.”

For more information, visit the exhibitions page on

the MFA website

(www.mfa.org

The circa 1880 gold and amber necklace, earrings, and

brooch by Castellani in the Archaeological Revival

style were a bequest of William Arnold Buffum

and will be included in the

Past Is Present: Revival

Jewelry

exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

(MFA) from February 14, 2017, to August 19, 2018.

Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This circa 1870 gold and coral demi-parure

from the TMA collection, with bacchante

head and grape cluster motifs suspending

amphora and grape cluster drops, completed

by baton and bead links, sold together with

a pair of 1¼" long amphora earrings and

⅝

" long bacchante head earrings for $4613

(est. $2000/3000).

In Shinnick’s blog post, “Three Reasons I Love

Victorian Earrings,” she used the example of

the ear pendants from this circa 1865 Egyptian

Revival gold and micromosaic demi-parure to

illustrate her idea that “Victorians were endlessly

inventive with their design motifs.” She called

these “a wonderful pair that has both micromosaic

and gold scarabs in each earring…very typical

of the Victorian design aesthetic.” The 2½" long

ear pendants were accompanied by a 3

⅛

" long

brooch that is also set with an oval mosaic of an

iridescent scarab beetle. With palmette accents

and suspended conforming drops, the set sold for

$5228 (est. $2500/3500).

This boxed

circa 1880

Etruscan

Revival 15k gold

demi-parure from

the TMA collection—a

16" long necklace and 2"

long earrings—realized $3998

(est. $2000/3000).

Shinnick used these 2" long

circa 1845 gold earrings

designed in the Gothic Revival

style as an example of earrings

well designed with proportions

in mind. “Earrings are kinetic

sculptures for your ears

and real artistry is needed

to make the design work.

Victorian jewelry designers

understood this…. Each

element works together,

with no one overwhelming

or being overwhelmed.

The overall shape and the

movement of each element

create a composition that

flatters the wearer.” They have

an inverted cone suspending

fringe and a drop, with applied bead

and wirework accents, and sold for

$2583 (est. $800/1200).

This pair of circa 1870 gold and micromosaic 1

⅛

long earrings from the TMA collection realized

$3444 (est. $800/1200).

This antique gold and enamel 2

⅞

" x 1

⅝

" x

⅝

" musical

snuffbox, “Carillons a Musique,” plays two tunes.

With an engraved case depicting an enamel lyre, it was

accompanied by a handwritten note reading,

“Bought at Paris Exposition 189[?] Left

by Gustave Franck to his grandson

Gunther.” It sold for $15,990

(est. $2000/4000).

This boxed circa 1865 Etruscan Revival gold

demi-parure from Italy comprises a 16½"

long necklace, 2½" x 2½" brooch, and 2"

long earrings with hallmarks. A note in the

Skinner catalog said that there was a catalog

note (from the aforementioned 1995 traveling

exhibition catalog) that the different pieces in

this set “are likely from separate workshops”

and were put in this box by the original buyer.

It sold for $7995 (est. $3000/5000).

Pablo Picasso’s 23k gold

“Tete du Masque”

medallion, edition

no. 12/20, with a

maker’s mark

for Pierre Hugo

and a French

guarantee stamp,

sold with the

original box and

a display stand

for $31,980 (est.

$10,000/15,000).