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Rare Roman Medallion Pendant with Ruby Glass Stone
Catalogue:
Antiques:
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Ancient World:
Roman:
Pre AD 1000 item# 502016
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In remarkable condition, this stunning ancient pendant is formed in a well-detailed floral shape and set with a cabochon stone (probably glass) that's brilliant ruby red. It's most unusual to find an item of such antiquity still containing a stone and the overlapped edge of the mounting indicates original condition. I can't see any way that it could have been replaced.
The jewel is between 1700 and 2000 years old, made of lead which has developed rich patina and luster through the centuries. It measures 30 mm (nearly 1 1/4")in diameter and comes strung on a lanyard, as it was probably worn originally.
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Stunning Victorian Egyptian Revival Art Glass Brooch
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Jewelry:
Continental:
Pre 1900 item# 491077
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
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Most of us know the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the 1920s led to a craze for Egyptian-styled jewelry. Fewer are aware there were earlier Egyptian crazes (circa 1800 and again in the 1860s, when the Suez Canal opened). Further, when Tut's treasures toured the world once more in the 1970s, it was "deja vu all over again." Because of this, you always have to look *very* carefully at jewels with an Egyptian motif, to determine when they were made.
This example, I've decided, is from the Victorian era. It was sold to us as Deco, but the details of fabrication are simply *not* 20th century. It's too rustic, with too much evidence of hand-craftsmanship a la Arts & Crafts. Notice the slight asymmetry between the top and the base, as well as the Etruscan-style granulated surface and, of course, those old paste stones that are nothing like 20th century rhinestones. The tall columns of blue glass seem modern now, but Bohemia was quite capable of making them earlier and I believe this jewel is from there. It also shows more surface wear than is age-appropriate for the 1920s -- certainly not enough to detract from its beauty, but enough to signify great age.
Crafted on a very grand scale, this marvel measures about 3 1/4" by 1 1/8" and reached us from a Florida estate. It's an absolute dazzler.
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Berlin Iron Brooch Rare Early 19th c Snowflake
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Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Jewelry:
Continental:
Pre 1900 item# 479343
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$255
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Berlin iron jewelry, now rare and highly prized, was first made in support of the Prussian War of Liberation against Napoleon. Those who donated valuables to the cause received these in return and wore them with great pride. Cast of iron from models of silver or brass, then polished and lacquered to a matte black finish, most examples have very precise outlines joined together by wire links for an airy, intricate look. A snowflake shape such as this was perfect for the technique.
After hostilities ended, the style caught on elsewhere in Europe and iron jewels were crafted in Austria and France, as well as Germany, from Late Georgian/Regency times into the Victorian era. Accordingly, it’s impossible to be certain of Prussian origin, unless an item bears the inscription "Gold gab ich fur Eisen 1813" (meaning “I gave gold for iron”) or a foundry mark. Not many do, and the design of this brooch left no room for markings. We can be sure, though, that it’s of this timeframe and of iron; the metal exerts magnetic force (mildly, given its delicacy).
Despite its openwork form and great age, the brooch is in lovely condition, showing only minor losses of black lacquer and no rust I can find even under high magnification. It’s been beautifully cared for, as it deserves. A very special treasure for the serious collector, it measures about one and a half inches round and reached us from a New England estate.
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Stunning Medieval Bronze Sword Chape Pendant
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Metals:
Bronze:
Pre 1492 item# 476309
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Need an exceptional gift for your Knight in Shining Armor? Here's something very special, sure to delight any man (or woman) with a sense of history. Just think of the stories this sword chape could tell! Made in England soon after the Norman Conquest, the chape dates from the 12th or 13th century (between 1100 and 1299), so it might even have gone on a Crusade or two. It reached us via a leading antiquities dealer in Cambridgeshire.
Measuring 2 1/4" by 1 1/8", it's of particularly elegant form and the bronze has a lovely dark green patination all over. With the addition of a leather thong and interesting hand-made beads from historic Bury St. Edmunds, it's become a real swashbuckler of a pendant - ready to wear (or display on the wall, if your guy isn't the jewelry type).
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Rare Tudor Bronze Toy Purse Bar - Great as Pendant
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Metals:
Bronze:
Pre 1700 item# 457858
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Could the era that gave us Puck - not to mention Henry VIII, history's most self-indulgent monarch since Nero - be less than playful? Not likely! Little Liz, herself, might have practiced up to fund colonies and armadas with a toy purse on a frame like this one. Beautifully detailed on both sides and measuring about 2" wide by 5/8" high, this was the perfect accessory for a Tudor tot learning to say *MINE* along with *GO TO THE TOWER* - and it's perfect now as a whimsical pendant for an adult or child. Just add a silk cord or velvet ribbon and tie it on as a choker, since they're so trendy this season.
Acquired from a leading English antiquities dealer, this piece is exceedingly rare. Chances are, you'll never see another like it; we haven't.
Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Enchanting Art Nouveau Silver Butterfly Bowl c1900
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Metals:
Silver:
Pre 1900 item# 411099
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
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$255
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The romance of Art Nouveau design is perfectly captured by his exquisite antique silver bowl with ruffled edges upon which finely detailed butterflies perch gracefully as handles. It's a wonderfully versatile piece you can use to hold favorite jewels on your vanity or in any room for flowers or potpourri. You could serve sweets and nuts in it, too, or cache small items on your desktop.
Dating from the Late Victorian era, circa 1900, it's about 5 3/4" wide at the handles and 2 1/2" tall with a bowl 4" in diameter. It looks very French, but, on the base (which feels like it's weighted) the signature DERBY appears with the numeral 2 and a logo that looks like feathered wings extending in both directions. This presumably refers to a metalsmith of Derby town in England, because the marks are entirely different from those used by Derby Silver Co. in Connecticut and by Crown Derby (famed for its china).
The bowl polishes like sterling but, in the absence of sterling hallmarks, must be a lesser grade of silver or very heavy plating. We've cleaned it considerably, leaving the dark patina only in crevices. Condition is excellent; there's no damage, only age-appropriate surface wear. Provenance is an English estate, via a specialist Art Nouveau dealer in East Anglia.
Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. I'd love to send you images that you can inspect really closely. Thanks for looking!
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2 Antique Arts & Crafts 6 1/2-Inch Copper Candlesticks
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Furnishings:
Lighting:
Tabletop:
Candlesticks:
Pre 1900 item# 410832
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Fine quality hand-wrought Arts & Crafts candlesticks are in short supply, so we're delighted to offer this pair for your consideration. They come from England and date from the early years of the Arts & Crafts period (mid-19th century), since they have the look favored during the Victorian Gothic and Renaissance Revivals. Notice the middle section with its elaborate pattern of repousse' beading, swags and spade-shaped Aesthetic Movement leaves. That central portion must have lead at its core, because it's quite heavy and tiny areas of surface loss show silver color beneath. Other sections are predominantly of solid copper, with some accents of brass. We've left the areas of verdigris patina in place, since they demonstrate great age, but those can be polished off if you prefer a brighter look.
On elaborate 4 1/8-inch round scalloped bases with repousse' scrollwork in high relief, the candlesticks rise to a total height of 6 1/2 inches. Elsewhere online, a similar pair - an inch shorter, much less ornate and many years younger - are offered at the English equivalent of $375, so ours represent excellent value.
Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. I'd love to send you images that you can inspect really closely. Thanks for looking!
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2-Sided French Gothic Illuminated Book of Hours Leaf
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Religious Artifacts:
Christian:
Pre 1492 item# 410117
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The Book of Hours was a personal prayer book used by the laity in the Late Middle Ages. Having evolved as a specific form by the end of the thirteenth century, by the fourteenth century it replaced the Psalter as the principal text for private devotion. Based on the 8 canonical hours or divine offices, it included sets of prayers and readings to be spoken at daily intervals. In those days,
it was quite a status symbol to be able to own (and read) one. The most splendid are richly decorated with miniature paintings, elaborate initials, borders and line fillers. Most, however, were much more modest. Even simpler ones were very costly, being completely hand-made.
This example, on vellum, is from The Office of Our Blessed Lady At Lauds - beginning with Psalms 149 and 150 and ending almost at the finish of the Song of Zachariah. A full translation will be provided to the purchaser. It begins on the grain (hair) side of the skin and continues on the smooth (flesh) side - which is prettier as the front display, being more ornate. Here there two large illuminated and gilded capitals and 13 smaller ones. The other side has one large and 16 smaller.
The London dealer from whom this piece was purchased identified it as French pre-1520. Probably it's from the 1400s, since the printing press came along in 1455 and soon ended the demand for scribal arts. The Gothic style of script seen here was used internationally from the mid-twelfth through the fifteenth century. Condition of this manuscript is lovely, the vellum still being very supple and with little discoloration (less than appears in the photo). Size is about 6 7/8 x 4 1/4 inches.
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Rare Finely Detailed Georgian Onyx Double Cameo Brooch
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Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Jewelry:
Continental:
Pre 1900 item# 405482
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This exquisite double cameo shows the high quality and Neo-Classical subject matter we associate with the earliest years of the 19th century, so I believe it to be Late Georgian or Regency. Probable origin would be Italy, since the best carvers were there, though it reached us via a Massachusetts estate.
Double cameos are rare to begin with, and this one is also unusually large, ornately carved and imaginative. Its foreground figure is a warrior whose helmet has a ferocious feline on top - or perhaps the cat is on the head of the background figure. One or the other thus appears to be Heracles (aka Hercules), the ancient superhero noted for slaying lions and wearing their pelts. If he's at back, the helmeted figure is likely his patron Ares, god of war. If, on the other hand, Hercules is the helmeted figure, then the one in back is probably Queen Omphale (known to have borrowed the Nemetean lion's skin at times to make a fashion statement) - or the hero's later wife Dejanira - or perhaps his patron goddess Athena. The imagery on the shield at the extreme foreground is more straightforward: It shows a winged figure cracking a whip over a pair of horses pulling the chariot that signifies the sun's daily progress across the sky, thus the passage of time.
The cameo, which appears to be onyx, is seriously sizeable at 1 1/2 inches tall and 1 inch wide. The rope-twist frame, evidently gilt bronze, adds another 1/8 inch in each dimension. Both parts are very old, but the cameo and its present setting certainly didn't begin life together. The frame, characteristically Victorian, isn't really worthy of the cameo, nor is the fit perfect. Black epoxy holds the frame on and another epoxy line reveals repair to an old hairline fracture. Thankfully, the little crack did not extend into the carved area, which is crisp and pristine. Even the noses haven't been dinged and you know how common that flaw is.
No problems at all are apparent at the front, apart from age-appropriate loss of gilding to the frame and a slightly wavy joint of the bezel. This jewel is immediately wearable, although you may want to put it into a proper gold or silver frame. The price would of course be enormously higher if the cameo looked as perfect on the back as it does from the front. (The only other Hercules-in-lion-pelt cameo I've found currently online is merely of shell, rather than stone, but framed in gold and priced at $1,000.)
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Edwardian Jeweled Lavaliere Chandelier Necklace
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Antiques:
Decorative Art:
Jewelry:
Continental:
Pre 1910 item# 404865
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$125
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While the typical antique lavaliere is content to finish with a sweet little pearl drop, this one cuts loose with 2 1/2 inches worth of swaying sparkle! The longest of the three dangling drops has two faceted stones at the bottom; the others have one; and the lavaliere itself is set with four. I believe the jewels are Bohemian crystals - the name appied to Czech crystals before Czechoslovakia came into existence in 1918 - but there's a possibility they're small genuine amethysts. They flash yellow, as well as purple, in certain lights and amethyst and citrine are chemically the same stone.
Dating of this gorgeous necklace is definitely Late Victorian or Edwardian. Most likely it was made circa 1905-1910, since the delicacy and refinement of Edwardian design are very much in evidence. The curvy shape of the 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch lavaliere also shows strong Art Nouveau influence. The metal, gilt brass, has acquired a lovely patina over the past 100 years, but could be polished more brightly if you prefer that look. Age-appropriate surface wear is of course apparent under high magnification.
The basic chain is 14 inches long, but an extra 2 inches of larger chain allow the wearable length to be as much as 16 inches (plus lavaliere and drops). An early lobster clasp, the earliest I've ever seen, is present. I'd consider it a later addition, except that it's the same color and it shows the same wear.
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