Vintage Gold Bracelet with Large Antique Seal Fob Intaglios, Vienna c. 1985

Noblesse Oblige

Vintage Gold Bracelet with Large Antique Seal Fob Intaglios, Vienna c. 1985

€ 9,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

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

Coats of arms tell stories. They tell of old alliances, ambitious marriages, lost estates, saved marriages and, of course, a good dose of class consciousness. Anyone who has ever started to leaf through Siebmacher's Großes Wappenbuch, the monumental reference work of German-language heraldry, knows that there is a small world of its own hidden behind every coat of arms. Lions rise up on their hind legs, griffins hold swords, unicorns guard helmets and entire family histories are condensed into a picture of astonishing expressiveness in just a few characters. This bracelet tells the story of a world that, at least in Austria, has been officially lost since 1919 with the abolition of the nobility. Five antique intaglios are set into a wide, slightly reddish-gold armored bracelet made of gold, which were probably originally used as crest stones in seals or berlocks. The oval discs made of agate and jasper show the coats of arms of various families, apparently including aristocratic houses, as the crowns of rank reveal. Some of the coats of arms can be precisely identified with a little patience and a good magnifying glass. Others, however, are likely to remain mysterious to the end and stubbornly resist any quick identification - as if they would rather keep their old family secrets to themselves. The cameos were created as early as the 19th century. The bracelet itself is much younger and was probably made in Vienna in the 1980s. It looks as if the goldsmith who made it decided to put a whole chapter of European family history on the wrist without further ado. And yet the bracelet does have a sense of humor. After all, it is a wonderfully democratic idea to set five coats of arms together in a solid gold bracelet that can be worn by anyone. Where in the past careful attention was paid to rank, lineage and the correct number of crests, today counts, barons and perhaps even a prince or two meet peacefully side by side on a piece of jewellery. This extraordinary unique piece with its finely cut cameos came to us from an impressive private collection in Stuttgart.

Size & Details

Noblesse Oblige

€ 9,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Noblesse Oblige

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