Description
An amazing antique enamel pendant, featuring a galleon ship at sea, beautifully done in enamel, gold and silver, c1890. The galleon ship was a typical feature in jewellery of the Arts and Crafts designs of that early period and it so lovely to find a large example of a pendant, which really is an attractive thing. It also has a small fringe of natural baroque pearls suspended below it-referencing the sea once again.
This lovely openwork design in silver gilt portrays a galleon sailing with sails billowing and flags flying. It sails a beautiful sea of green and blue enamel and if you look under a loupe, you can see that the artist actually painted in the white foam where the waves are being cut through by the galleon. The ship is enamelled in a Royal blue colour, with some small dots of white as detailing. There is a golden sun and its rays on the largest mast, with an upright red lion on the mast to the right. The pendant has clearly been well cared-for and has been given a set of 9ct gold chains and bale from which it suspends. I have not over polished and it would buff up a little more if you desired-particularly the silver work.
It will slot onto one of your existing chains-a gold chain would look especially lovely, as it would match the pendant chains too. The height of the total drop from the top ring is approx 6.5cm and the width is approx 3cm. In pleasing condition, the only tiny thing worth mentioning is minor loss of of bits of the red enamel in the small flags at the top of the design-the rest is all present and correct, thankfully. I love the natural flecks and variations of sizes in the shapes of the baroque pearls- just as they should be.
Unsigned but clearly a wonderful thing created by expert hands-it seems to me to be an early piece from the late 1800s. Very rare indeed. I shall send in a new gift box by complimentary Special Delivery within the UK or else by express courier internationally. Thank you. Boxes in the images are for display only.
