Watch Pin

ca. 1900
Not on view
This gold, gemstone, and enamel watch-pin is a fine example of American Art Nouveau jewelry. It was made as two separate sections that were then riveted together. The front section depicts a heron standing amid diamond and pearl-studded cattails and lily pads. The back depicts a sunset rendered in brilliant blue, green, yellow, and red plique-à-jour enamel. In plique-à-jour enameling, the "cells" of color have no backing, allowing light to shine through the transparent enamel, creating the effect of a stained glass window. Plique- à-jour was a favored technique of many jewelers working in the Art Nouveau style, including the great French jeweler René Lalique.

Nineteenth-century Newark, New Jersey, was home to some of America’s most accomplished jewelry manufacturers. By the 1870s it had developed a $5,000,000-a-year industry, responding to consumer demand through the coupling of exquisite workmanship and technological innovation. Its reputation for quality and style was so widespread that its products were sold all worldwide. This watch pin represents one of Newark’s finest firms

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Watch Pin
  • Maker: Riker Brothers (active 1892–1926)
  • Date: ca. 1900
  • Geography: Made in Newark, New Jersey, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Gold, plique-à-jour enamel, diamonds, pearl, and ruby
  • Dimensions: Diam. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Susan and Jon Rotenstreich Gift, 2001
  • Object Number: 2001.331
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.