Highlander

Victorian Silver "Pebble" Brooch, Great Britain c. 1890

€ 690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Victorian Silver "Pebble" Brooch, Great Britain c. 1890

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

Brooches with Scottish motifs were very fashionable in 19th century Britain. The desire to return to nature, which fueled Romanticism in Germany, inspired a love of the northern part of the country in the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria retreated to her castle Balmoral for the summer months, people read Walter Scott's novels, and even in Scotland itself, people returned to their traditions and revived the wearing of kilts and kilts. This brooch is a testimony to this fashion and refers to the rugged northern country in two ways: It is designed as a dagger with two smaller knives inserted into its sheath. The dagger and knife (Gaelic: "Dirk & Sgian Dubh") were and are an indispensable part of the kilt. In the 1812 portrait of Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry by the painter Henry Raeburn, we can see such a dagger at the side of the sitter. The painting can be found in the National Gallery of Scotland, see here. On the other hand, the material of the brooch is also related to Scotland: The semi-precious stones with which it is set, such as agate, jasper and heliotrope, are typical parts of brooches like this one as so-called "pebbles". Faceted yellow glass adorns the knobs of the daggers. Citrines of this color were considered typical Scottish stones at the time the piece was created. It was known that even Queen Victoria liked to go in search of these stones in the surroundings of Balmoral Castle. However, the rare finds were not enough to meet the growing demand for Scottish jewellery, so substitutes were also used, as here. Our brooch is made of engraved silver in which the cut stones discussed here are set. It was made around 1890. Ginny Redington Dawes and Corinne Davidov: Victorian Jewelry. Unexplored Treasures, New York / London / Paris, 1991, pp. 57-95, have compiled numerous other wonderful examples of such pieces.

Size & Details

Highlander

€ 690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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