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Elements from a Necklace, late 15th–16th century
Granada
Gold and cloisonné enamel
Inscribed on pendant: AVE MARIA GRACIA PLEN(A) (Hail Mary, full of grace)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.161a-j)

The consummate skill of goldsmiths in Nasrid Granada is evident in these necklace elements, which combine filigree, granulation, and cloisonné enamelwork. The Latin inscription on the central pendant, "Hail Mary, full of Grace," the salutation of the archangel Gabriel when he revealed to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Christ Child, leaves no doubt that this necklace excavated in Granada before 1916 was meant to be worn by a Christian. Among a series of exceptional works that have been attributed to the same Nasrid workshop are items that were clearly destined for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish patrons.


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    Elements from a Necklace, late 15th–16th century
    Granada
    Gold and cloisonné enamel
    Inscribed on pendant: AVE MARIA GRACIA PLEN(A) (Hail Mary, full of grace)
    Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.161a-j)