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Locket pendant
Italian
around 1870
Object Place: American or European
Medium/Technique
Gilt metal and class
Dimensions
4 x 2.5 x 1.2 cm (1 9/16 x 1 x 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Maxim Karolik
Accession Number64.635
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Pendants
DescriptionThis piece of gilded metal and micromosaic is composed of large shaped bail hinged to a rounded hinged locket depicting a red, green, and white beatle on a circular white ground with a red edging. The individual pieces of the mosaic are opaque, except for several in the tail of the beatle which are transparent red and green. Surrounding the micromosaic are borders of round and small twisted wires and another border of red, green, and white micromosaic in a geometric pattern set into the gilt metal. The flattened back of the locket is metal and has larged raised letters "AEI" in the center (in Greek, symbolic of "eternal"). There are several levels of circular borders of round and small twisted wires and a wider curved border with small wire circles.
The bail echoes the decoration of the locket with a micromosaic design on the front and metal only on the back. The micromosaic design has a floral motif in a quatrafoil in red, white, and green. The geometric pattern on the back of the bail combines twisted wires with several large granulated balls. The edges of the bail are articulated with round wire.
The bail echoes the decoration of the locket with a micromosaic design on the front and metal only on the back. The micromosaic design has a floral motif in a quatrafoil in red, white, and green. The geometric pattern on the back of the bail combines twisted wires with several large granulated balls. The edges of the bail are articulated with round wire.
Marks
Stamped inside the locket is the Roman maker's mark with crossed keys and the bishop's mitre. There also looks to be numbers inside above the keys, possible 0 and 6