Hand-Colored Etching with Designs for Jewelry
Hand-colored etching with designs for jewelry, designed by Chazal Jeune in Paris in the first half of the nineteenth-century, most likely between 1820 and 1850. Jewelry design in the nineteenth century was characterized by the romantic revival of previous styles, including Egyptian, Etruscan and the Renaissance. Jewels were often created using diamonds, gold, enamel, and beads of semi-precious stones such as turquoise and lapislazuli, to achieve colorful creations inspired on the different historical styles they revived. The jewelry designs in the plate consist of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a belt, each labeled with an inscription indicating the type of jewel.
A first design for a necklace on this plate consists of a golden crown motif, from which hangs a bundle of blue beads, possibly of turquoise or lapislazuli. The crown is flanked to the sides by two golden rosettes, which hold two festoons made up of strips of small, red beads, possibly to be made with coral, and larger gray beads. The festoons end in a golden rosette each, and the necklace would have likely contained several repetitions of this patterns to achieve the desired length. To the sides of the necklace are two tassels, made up of strips of small, red beads and larger gray beads, which would have possibly been used to decorate the ends of the necklace. They could have been intended as earrings, but lack the respective inscription indicating so in the print.
The first design for a bracelet consists of a pink roundel containing a yellow hexagon motif, framed by a strip of small, red beads, possibly of coral, and larger, blue beads, possibly of turquoise or lapislazuli. This central frame is flanked to the sides by strips made up of alternating small, green beads and larger, red beads, the red beads surrounded by strips of small, green beads to form vertical eye shapes. Next to it is a design for a pendant earring, made up of a pink oval frame containing a small, green oval inside, framed by a strip of small, red beads. From this frame hangs a larger, red bead, holding a larger sphere made up of tiny, purple beads, from which hangs another red bead and a tassel made up of strips of tiny purple beads. A piece of paper has been cut out from the part of the sheet at the right side of the earring, under an inscription "Bracelet", leaving empty the space where this design would have been.
A second design for a necklace consists of a green oval motif with a frame made up of tiny, incised flowers and branches with leaves, from which hangs a cross motif made up of alternating small, red beads, possibly to be made of collar, and larger, blue beads, possibly to be made of turquoise or lapislazuli. The oval frame is flanked by three jumprings to each side, each holding a strip of alternating blue beads and several small, red beads, which connect to another oval frame. The design would have been extended in this way to achieve the desired length.
Two more designs for earrings are under the necklace: the first consists of a hook earring with a rosette made up of a pink, round center and small, red beads around it, from which hangs a bundle of small, green beads. The second is also a hook earring, with a sphere made up of small, purple beads, and another sphere made up of small, blue beads, separated by a small, orange bead. Three strips made up of two orange beads and a larger red bead hang from the lower, blue sphere.
The final design in this plate is for a belt, and consists of three golden, rectangular frames, separated by a net of lozenges created with strips of alternating green beads and pairs of smaller, red beads. Inside the golden frame are three different motifs, two butterflies and a church (?), inside thin grids. These might have been created using small beads or a small piece of embroidered textiles in the manufactured jewel. The net of beads on the right side of the central frame has been cut out of the sheet.
A first design for a necklace on this plate consists of a golden crown motif, from which hangs a bundle of blue beads, possibly of turquoise or lapislazuli. The crown is flanked to the sides by two golden rosettes, which hold two festoons made up of strips of small, red beads, possibly to be made with coral, and larger gray beads. The festoons end in a golden rosette each, and the necklace would have likely contained several repetitions of this patterns to achieve the desired length. To the sides of the necklace are two tassels, made up of strips of small, red beads and larger gray beads, which would have possibly been used to decorate the ends of the necklace. They could have been intended as earrings, but lack the respective inscription indicating so in the print.
The first design for a bracelet consists of a pink roundel containing a yellow hexagon motif, framed by a strip of small, red beads, possibly of coral, and larger, blue beads, possibly of turquoise or lapislazuli. This central frame is flanked to the sides by strips made up of alternating small, green beads and larger, red beads, the red beads surrounded by strips of small, green beads to form vertical eye shapes. Next to it is a design for a pendant earring, made up of a pink oval frame containing a small, green oval inside, framed by a strip of small, red beads. From this frame hangs a larger, red bead, holding a larger sphere made up of tiny, purple beads, from which hangs another red bead and a tassel made up of strips of tiny purple beads. A piece of paper has been cut out from the part of the sheet at the right side of the earring, under an inscription "Bracelet", leaving empty the space where this design would have been.
A second design for a necklace consists of a green oval motif with a frame made up of tiny, incised flowers and branches with leaves, from which hangs a cross motif made up of alternating small, red beads, possibly to be made of collar, and larger, blue beads, possibly to be made of turquoise or lapislazuli. The oval frame is flanked by three jumprings to each side, each holding a strip of alternating blue beads and several small, red beads, which connect to another oval frame. The design would have been extended in this way to achieve the desired length.
Two more designs for earrings are under the necklace: the first consists of a hook earring with a rosette made up of a pink, round center and small, red beads around it, from which hangs a bundle of small, green beads. The second is also a hook earring, with a sphere made up of small, purple beads, and another sphere made up of small, blue beads, separated by a small, orange bead. Three strips made up of two orange beads and a larger red bead hang from the lower, blue sphere.
The final design in this plate is for a belt, and consists of three golden, rectangular frames, separated by a net of lozenges created with strips of alternating green beads and pairs of smaller, red beads. Inside the golden frame are three different motifs, two butterflies and a church (?), inside thin grids. These might have been created using small beads or a small piece of embroidered textiles in the manufactured jewel. The net of beads on the right side of the central frame has been cut out of the sheet.
Artwork Details
- Title: Hand-Colored Etching with Designs for Jewelry
- Artist: Designed by Chazal Jeune (French)
- Date: ca. 1820–50
- Medium: Hand-Colored Etching
- Dimensions: Sheet: 11 7/8 × 8 3/4 in. (30.1 × 22.3 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1938
- Object Number: 38.98.4
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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