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"Eye" brooch

early 19th century
Not on view
So-called Lover’s Eye jewelry was fashionable between 1780s and 1830s both in England, on the Continent and in America. This fashion seems to have been initiated by the Prince of Wales (the future George IV), who sent a miniature of his own eye to his lover, Mrs. Mary Fitzherbert. Such miniatures were mounted as rings, pendants or brooches and were worn by the beloved. Associated with purity and tears, pearls are frequently set into the frame of this kind of jewelry and might have added a commemorative aspect to the jewelry, to remember a deceased loved one.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Eye" brooch
  • Date: early 19th century
  • Culture: English
  • Medium: Portrait miniature possibly on ivory; pearls; rock crystal; gold
  • Dimensions: confirmed: 7/16 × 5/8 × 1/4 in. (1.1 × 1.5 × 0.6 cm)
  • Classifications: Jewelry, Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.283.121
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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