Dress ornament (heftel)

18th century, with later alterations
Not on view
Dress ornaments were the height of fashion for Saxon women in Transylvania. They were originally worn as bodice clasps, but as rich women demanded larger and heavier examples so as to display their wealth, these pieces were also sometimes suspended from a cloth band around the neck. This object is among the few Hungarian goldsmith pieces that the Museum had before the gift of the Salgo Collection.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Dress ornament (heftel)
  • Date: 18th century, with later alterations
  • Culture: Hungarian
  • Medium: Gold, enamel, sapphire, semiprecious stones
  • Dimensions: Diameter: 5 in. (12.7 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.581
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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