Sentimental Classicist Friendship Brooch With Pearls & Diamonds, Circa 1800

Towards the end of the 18th century and well into the 19th century, people cultivated a true cult of friendship and love. Wonderful friendship albums were created, called liber amicorum, with artistic ink drawings and verses. Silhouettes were exchanged to remember the silhouette of a loved one's face, and jewellery also became a bearer of heartfelt feelings. This brooch is a sentimental expression of this culture. Beneath a pane of curved glass, we see a touching scene in front of royal blue guilloché enamel. Two winged cupids hold an oval plaque with the French inscription "Amité" (friendship). A surrounding ribbon lends the depiction a cheerful elegance. The oval centerpiece is framed by a wreath of shimmering natural pearls. Two cushion-shaped old mine cut diamonds in closed silver settings set glittering accents at the two tips. This piece of jewellery was created in the 1800s and was obviously a gift of friendship, intended to preserve the sympathy between the giver and the recipient forever. And yet a mystery remains. Was love involved here that went beyond friendship, and was the brooch intended as a tender hint? On the type and time of origin of the brooch, see Gisela Zick: Gedenke mein. Freundschafts- und Memorialschmuck 1770-1870, Dortmund 1980, with numerous examples.

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