Designs for a chatelaine brooche and a pendant earring
Two drawings in graphite of designs for a chatelaine brooch and a pendant earring, in the style of the French School of the 19th century, designed for the French jewelry company Mellerio-Borgnis. Each drawing was created on a separate sheet of semi-transparent paper, all adhered to the same page of the album. The chatelaine brooch is made up of an oval frame flanked by four fleur-de-lis motifs to the sides, inside a larger frame with scrolls, flanked above and below by larger fleur-de-lis motifs, the bottom one holding another oval frame, flanked by scrolling motifs above and below, and by two trefoil motifs to the sides, from which hang chains with oval motifs, each ending with a different motif; the bottom scroll also holds a chain, but without insignia on the end. The design for the earring consists of a large round faceted stone, with two small, stylized, green leaves hanging underneath it; from the center of the leaves hangs a strip of three round faceted stones of decreasing size and a metallic foil; two similar metallic foild hang from the leaves, framing the sides of the first of these three stones. The physical jewels from these designs would have likely been manufactured using gold or silver, and probably using brilliants, diamonds, or other (semi-) precious stones to add color and shine to the designs.
Artwork Details
- Title: Designs for a chatelaine brooche and a pendant earring
- Artist: F. Mellerio Borgnis
- Date: ca. 1830–70
- Medium: Graphite, gray wash, and black and white gouache
- Dimensions: Sheet: 11 3/4 × 8 3/8 in. (29.9 × 21.2 cm)
Album: 8 11/16 in. × 12 in. × 1 3/8 in. (22 × 30.5 × 3.5 cm) - Classifications: Albums, Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Gift of Raphael Esmerian, 1957
- Object Number: 57.662.4(25)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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