Antique Rose Gold Brooch with Old Cut Diamond and Locket Compartment, c. 1885

Are you familiar with the term horror vacui, the "fear of emptiness"? The art critic Mario Praz coined it when he described the late 19th century's love of excessive ornamentation. Floral patterns covered the walls and upholstered furniture of Victorian living rooms, and clothes and jewels could not do without multiple colors and patterns. Hardly any surface was allowed to remain without ornament. From today's perspective, in which a fear of ornament is usually cultivated, this antithesis to the omnipresent minimalism can be quite refreshing. This brooch demonstrates just how impressive such an ornamental piece of jewellery from the late 19th century can be. Sweeps of the finest gold wire and delicate gold beads frame the round design. Finely crafted flowers are set between the arches. The shield-shaped curved centerpiece has a velvety texture thanks to fine engravings. A beautiful old-cut diamond of around 0.17 carats sparkles in the center of the piece of jewellery in a high buttercup setting. Every detail is astonishingly precise and incomparably finer than most products of today's goldsmith's art. A glazed compartment on the back allows for the storage of personal mementos. This beautiful brooch was probably made in Germany. It is a typical piece of historicism, as it became popular in the 1880s. We discovered it in Berlin.

Estimate:$1,448.61

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