Large Cross Pendant with Aquamarines in Gold, c. 1835

Man, nature and religion - the interplay of these three forces preoccupied philosophers and artists in the age of Romanticism. They turned against the dogma of the church and understood faith as a deeply personal, subjective experience. Religion was a "sense and taste for the infinite", argued the theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher in 1799. For many Romantics, nature in particular could evoke the experience of the sublime, the infinite, and thus religious feelings. This is memorably illustrated in Caspar David Friedrich's Tetschener Altar, for example. This pendant was created towards the end of this period. The design combines the classic motif of the paw cross with subtle naturalistic ornamentation. Five natural aquamarines are arranged in the shape of a cross. They are set in voluminous gold elements, each of which appears to emerge from an acanthus ornament in the middle. Each arm of the cross appears to consist of leaves or feathers that curve towards the aquamarine. Even the pendant loop has an ornamental design, completing the opulent impression of the piece. Sentimental and naturalistic motifs in gold and colored stones continued to characterize jewelry until the middle of the 19th century. Based on its workmanship, design and format, our cross was created around 1830, when strong colors and volumes returned to the world of fashion after the cool, restrained aesthetics of neoclassicism and the hardships of the Napoleonic Wars. It is a well-preserved, very wearable example of jewellery from the late Romantic period.

Estimate:£1,265.65

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