Bracelet in "Archaeological Style"

Artist Ernesto Pierret (Italian (born France), 1824-1870)

Place of OriginItaly, Rome

Dateabout 1865

DimensionsL: 7 1/2 in. (19 cm)

MediumGold, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, agate cameo

ClassificationJewelry

Credit LineMr. and Mrs. George M. Jones, Jr. Fund

Object number

1999.11A

Not on View

Label TextAlthough many revival styles characterize the 19th century, none was more enduring nor found more sumptuous expression than antiquity-inspired “archaeological jewelry.” This large bracelet was made by French-born jeweler Ernesto Pierret, who created ornate jewelry in competition with the internationally renowned firm of Castellani in Rome. Murray’s Handbook to Central Italy and Rome, much used by British tourists on the Grand Tour, noted pointedly in 1853, “Pierret is now one of the first artists in Rome for Etruscan jewellery, and is more moderate in his charges than Castellani.” While Castellani’s clientele were primarily well-heeled foreign tourists, Pierret’s customers continued to come mostly through his wife Virginia Crespi’s papal connections in Rome. His designs catered to their taste in Etruscan, Classical, and Byzantine styles. The exquisitely carved gem in this architectural, hinged cuff is unusually embellished with brightly colored precious stones and tiny spheres of solid gold known as granulation, an ancient technique in which the Etruscans excelled. The 19th-century agate cameo portrait of an ancient Roman ruler may depict Marc Antony or Agrippa. It can be removed from the bracelet and worn as a brooch.Published ReferencesZapata, Janet, "Jewelry at the Toledo Museum of Art," Antiques, vol. 158, no. 4, Oct., 2000, p. 507, pl. I, p.504 (col.).

The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 254, repr. (col.).