Necklace

Details

Descriptive Terms

necklaces
Gothic Revival
iron (metal)
enamel (fused coating)
casting (process)
Necklace

Label

"Mementos: Jewelry of Life and Love from Historic New England": Enameled iron household goods made in Berlin were available in the United States by the 1840s, but jewelry from this material was an exciting innovation. The Codman family might have acquired this delicate, enameled iron cross suspended from chain mail on one of their many trips to Europe.

Associated Building

Original to Codman House (Lincoln, Mass.),

Additional Identification Number

241

Maker

Unknown

Location of Origin

Europe

Dimensions

3/8 (W) (inches)

Credit Line

Bequest of Dorothy S.F.M. Codman

Accession Number

1969.3049

Exhibition Notes

"Hidden Treasures from Elegant Eras," Historic Jewelry from the Collections of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities presented by Shreve, Crump & Low, September 15 - November 30, 1995. "Jewelry at Historic New England," Online exhibit presented by Historic New England launched September 30, 2007 at www.historicnewengland.org/jewelryhistory/.

Reference Notes

For more information on Berlin Iron jewelry see Bury, Shirley, "Jewellery, 1789-1910," v. 2 (1991): 698-702; Dawes, Ginny Redington and Corinne Davidov, "Victorian Jewelry: Unexplored Treasures," (1991): 110-114; Fales, Martha Gandy, "Jewelry in America, 1600-1900," (1995); 257; Newman, Harold, "Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry," (1981): 37; Phillips, Clare, "Jewels and Jewelry," (2000): 72-73. For more information on the Codman estate see the entire issue of "Old Time New England" 71, no. 258 (1981).