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Fresh water pearl, potato white, 7mm |
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Fresh water pearls, peacock button
shape, 6mm |
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Freshwater Pearl, Peach Potato, Shape 7
to 8 mm |
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Freshwater
pearl, white color biwa shape, 7x20mm. |
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Fresh water pearls, white tube shape,
5x15mm |
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Freshwater pearls, Multi color shades of
Dark Greens to light greens, biwa shape,
6x20-8x25mm |
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In Metropolitan
Jewelry, a beautiful book which examines
jewelry in the collection of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Sophie McConnell writes: "One of the
widespread fashions of the early sixteenth century
was the wearing of large, heavy
chains. In England Henry VIII gave them as
presents to ambassadors and as rewards to men who
had rendered a service to the crown. In Germany and
Flanders, however, they were mostly worn by women".
In this painting by Luger Tom Ring the Younger
(German, 1522-84):
McConnell explains that the mother and daughter (to
the right of Jesus) are dressed piously yet
fashionably, each wearing a large, and undoubtedly
heavy,
gold chain. The daughter (far right) wears not
only the long
chain but a jeweled
pendant suspended from another more ornate
open-link
chain around her throat.
 In
Hans Brosamer's dour portrait "Katharina Merian"
(painted in Germany, mid-sixteenth century), the
subject wears a
necklace whose
gold chain is made of flat circular links, so
simple that the
necklace almost looks contemporary. Of course,
the
pendant is pure elaborate Renaissance.
 As
for Henry VIII, he was often depicted wearing both a
jeweled collar that spans his shoulders, as well as
chain suspending a jeweled
pendant, as in this painting by Hans Holbein the
Younger. |
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