Saturday, August 6, 2011

Mastery of Design: A Pair of Antique Turquiose and Enamel Earrings, 1880

Earrings
Enamel, Turquoise, Pearls, Diamonds, Gold
The Victoria & Albert Museum
Jewels are always lasting symbols of affection and, long ago, became a canvas for creative ways in expressing love through the use of symbols and forms. Here, in this pair of earrings from the 1880’s, we see one of the most enduring symbols of love—cupids.

Neatly rendered on enamel, these cupids are set in frames of gold, adorned with pearls, turquoises and rose-cut diamonds, each symbols of eternal affection.


1 comment:

Doni said...

The diamonds, and pearls etc are of course brilliant, but I will never understand how an artist can be so accomplished as to render something less than an inch high so incredibly lifelike.

Makes me want to collect miniatures. ;) Not the kind I already collect, that live in a repurposed 'printers frame'--but *real* miniatures, that are works of fine art.