Byzantine-revival pendant in the form of an oil lamp

ca. 1870

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556

This gold pendant is in the form of an oil lamp, the center decorated with the monogram of Christ, with filigree decoration on the monogram and along the outer rim of the lamp. The Castellani firm was the leading producer of archaeological-revival jewelry in the second half of the nineteenth century, and this pendant in the form of a Roman oil lamp from antiquity embodies, albeit on a small scale, the firm’s focus on antique forms and styles of decoration.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Byzantine-revival pendant in the form of an oil lamp
Maker: Castellani
Date: ca. 1870
Culture: Italian, Rome
Medium: Gold; glass; fabric
Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 9/16 × 1 9/16 × 1 3/16 in. (1.5 × 4 × 3 cm)
Classifications: Metalwork-Gold and Platinum, Jewelry
Credit Line: Gift of Judith H. Siegel, 2015
Object Number: 2015.407
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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