Antique Gold Pendant with Natural Pearls from Sicily, ca. 1830

This large pendant from the early 19th century is crafted from relatively thin gold sheet and features an entirely floral design. Composed of multiple parts, the design unfolds as a delicate interweaving of leaves, blossoms, and tendrils. The individual elements are enlivened with delicate engraved and hallmarked lines. Small natural pearls sit like buds among the golden leaves, adding bright accents. Three dangling pendants lend the piece a beautiful sense of movement. Originally, this piece of jewellery was not a pendant but a drop earring. The lightweight construction made of thin gold sheet metal made it possible to create relatively large and magnificent-looking earrings that were nevertheless comfortable to wear. Particularly similar examples can be found in Sicilian goldsmithing. In her study Riflessi internazionali nell’oreficeria di Sicilia tra XVIII e XIX secolo, Palermo 2018, Roberta Cruciata publishes several related earrings, see here.. Particularly comparable is a pair on p. 51 (see fig.) from the Chiesa Madre Maria SS. del Soccorso in Castellammare del Golfo, which is described as a 19th-century work from Trapani. Here, too, openwork gold, naturalistic leaves and flowers, and small pearls combine to form a light, richly structured composition. The historical hallmark from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies also provides an important clue to the piece’s origin and date. Next to the head of Partenope is the number 6, which, within the hallmarking system of the time, denotes the sixth gold standard with a fineness of 500/000. This form of hallmark was used only from 1824 to 1832. It cannot be determined with absolute certainty whether the earring was actually made in Sicily or in the Neapolitan part of the kingdom. However, its design and craftsmanship are remarkably similar to surviving Sicilian works from this period.

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