Lost Ancient Jewelry London’s Cheapside Hoard 16th Century Elizabethan Stuart

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Seller: ancientgifts ✉️ (5,440) 100%, Location: Lummi Island, Washington, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 381888910753 Lost Ancient Jewelry London’s Cheapside Hoard 16th Century Elizabethan Stuart.

London's Lost Jewels: The Cheapside Hoard by Hazel Forsyth.

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DESCRIPTION:  Softcover.  Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers (2013).  Pages: 256.  Size:  9¾ x 7¾ inches; 2½ pounds. In 1912, laborers on a building site in Cheapside in the City of London unearthed a great trove of gemstones and jewels which had lain undisturbed for some 300 years. Known and celebrated as the Cheapside Hoard it is still the largest known cache of its kind in the world. These objects, dazzlingly beautiful, intricate and often astonishing, are evocative emissaries from London's past. The Cheapside Hoard remains the single most important source of our knowledge of the Elizabethan and early Stuart jewelers' trade and, by extension, life and fashion in London society of the era.

London's Lost Jewels has been written to accompany an exciting new exhibition, which marks the 100th anniversary of the original public display and for the first time reveals the Cheapside Hoard in its glittering entirety. It provides much new information about the city's role in the international gem and jewelry trade during one of the most dynamic periods of English history. A wealth of fascinating stories and lavish illustrations bring these exquisite treasures to life.

CONDITION:  NEW. New oversized softcover. Philip Wilson Publishers (2013) 256 pages. Unblemished, unmarked, pristine in every respect. Pages are pristine; clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unambiguously unread. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! Meticulous and accurate descriptions! Selling rare and out-of-print ancient history books on-line since 1997. We accept returns for any reason within 30 days! #8060a.

PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTIONS AND IMAGES BELOW FOR DETAILED REVIEWS AND FOR PAGES OF PICTURES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.

PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.

PUBLISHER REVIEWS: 

REVIEW:  The Cheapside Hoard is a hoard of jewelry from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, discovered in 1912 by workmen using a pickaxe to excavate in a cellar at 30-32 Cheapside in London, on the corner with Friday Street. They found a buried wooden box containing more than 400 pieces of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewelry, including rings, brooches and chains, with bright colored gemstones and enameled gold settings, together with toadstones,,cameos, scent bottles, fan holders, crystal tankards and a salt cellar. Most of the hoard is now in the Museum of London, with some items held by the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

REVIEW:  London's Lost Jewels has been written to accompany an exciting new exhibition, which marks the 100th anniversary of the original public display and for the first time reveals the Cheapside Hoard in its glittering entirety.

REVIEW:  Hazel Forsyth is the Senior Curator of Medieval and Post-Medieval Collections at the Museum of London, UK. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; a Freeman of the City of London; a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths; and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Pewterers. She has worked on numerous exhibitions and has published widely on a range of subjects.

REVIEW:  Table of Contents.

Introduction.

1. A Spectacular Find.

2. Cheapside.

3. Trading Places.

4. A World Encompassed.

5. Buried Treasure.

Notes.

Further Reading.

Index.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS: 

REVIEW:  Forsyth has revealed the social context of these jewels in a new book, itself a treasure trove of expertise and a rich visual experience in its own right. [Geoffrey Munn, World of Interiors].

REVIEW:  Indispensable to the enjoyment of the exhibition is a well-researched book that includes, besides much previously unpublished information, a gripping account of the murder of a rich gem trader at sea, describing the dangers confronting the enterprising men who brought these rich and rare gems to London for the beautification of English women. [Apollo Magazine].

REVIEW:  Hazel Forsyth, the curator, spent years studying letters, stock lists and rent books as well as the objects themselves. Her patient scholarship has unearthed plenty of dubious behavior, much of it chronicled in her excellent book, London's Lost Jewels.' [The Economist].

REVIEW:  This is a comprehensive, fascinating insight into the Elizabethan and early Stuart jewelry trade in London. [The Jeweler Magazine].

REVIEW:  A landmark publication that delves into the complex and often murky world of the London goldsmith trade. [Jewelry History Today].

REVIEW:  Positively cinematic in its drama and detail. [Burlington Magazine].

READER REVIEWS: 

REVIEW:  Having read glowing reviews of the 'Cheapside Hoard' exhibition at the City of London Museum, I've already bought a timed ticket to see it on one of my rare visits to the capital. As I believe strongly that an exhibition is far more interesting if you've read the guide book before you go, I was delighted to find "LOndon's Lost Jewels" in printed form. It's far exceeded my expectations, however, as despite author Hazel Forsyth being curator of the exhibition this is far more than just a guide book, albeit a beautifully illustrated one.

Briefly, the 'Hoard' comprises thousands of jewels and pieces of jewelry buried under Goldsmith's Row (just east of St Paul’s Cathedral) sometime between 1640 and 1666. No-one knows who buried them, why, or -- perhaps most intriguingly -- why they never retrieved them. Those 26 years which saw the Civil War, the Great Plague and the Fire of London are among the most traumatic that London has ever known (only rivaled by the Blitz), and any of those -- or something entirely different -- could provide the answer. We'll probably never know. What the reader of LONDON'S LOST JEWELS will know by the time they reach page 223, however, is a great deal about the jewelry trade of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, a good deal about individual named jewelers and their wealthy patrons, and a fair bit about the political and social climate of the times.

Did I already remark that the book is beautifully illustrated? Printed on high-quality paper in full color (except for a few mono prints and cuttings) the sheer beauty of many of the jewels dominates the page. Although some of the pieces appear to have been damaged before they were hidden -- perhaps they'd been brought to a jeweler for repair? -- and most of the pearls have degraded with time, many other pieces are perfect, their 350 or so years underground having left their gold and stones unmarked. Jem cutting and setting styles have changed with time, leaving the majority of the pieces unique, though similar ones can be seen paintings of the period, many of which are reproduced here.

All in all, I was left wondering who I admired the most -- the 17th century craftsmen who created such beautiful work, or the 21st century author who had made it possible for so many of us non-Londoners to admire them. Highly recommended, whether or not you have a chance to visit the exhibition before it closes in April 2014.

REVIEW:  Spectacular book of jewels found when a group of buildings in Cheapside were razed in 1912. Known as Goldsmiths Row, the buildings had been the property of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths for centuries, but how this hoard of jewels came to be buried there remains unknown. Dating mainly to the late 16th and early 17th centuries, this is a remarkable collection for historical study. Here a selection of the pieces is reproduced in glorious photographs, most pieces including both actual-size and enlarged images, and with really well done accompanying text. This volume is superb.

REVIEW:  This is a beautifully produced, clearly written and informative accompaniment to a wonderful exhibition. The Cheapside Hoard, discovered by accident in 1912 (? or thereabouts), has been re-united for the exhibition at the London Museum, where it is beautifully displayed. The jewelry is sumptuous and often intricate. The book reflects this very well.

REVIEW:  Firstly this book is more than just a catalog of an exhibition taking place in London. It's a book rich with historical detail on the hoard, jewelry making processes and London. Lots of pictures of the jewelry from the hoard but also, plenty of text, background info about each piece. I really can not praise this book enough. As a jewelry designer maker, with plenty of books on the subject, this one is in my top 10. The author has really done their homework in producing this great book, and I love the inclusion of original historical documents the author has been able to source and share. I would highly recommend this book.

REVIEW:  I have been waiting for this book to come out for years. I bought her earlier book on the Hoard, but it was only a very small book with small illustrations. Living in the depths of Northumberland I will not be able to view the exhibition, but this book brought it to my door. Wonderful photographs and great descriptions and historical information. Anybody interested in jewelry should buy this book. Anyone interested in the 17th century should also think about adding it to their library. I reenact a 17th century character with a penchant for finery and this book gives me further insight into the period. Many congratulations to the authoress on an excellent work.

REVIEW:  What a story of mystery and (possibly) skullduggery. The discovery of the Cheapside hoard is a fascinating story. The fact that its contents are so breathtaking ( and there may well be more out there in private collections) and the fact that it is now on display at the Museum of London, make this a fascinating read and a wonderful visual experience. There is a lot of detail that may "lose" some readers but you can always skip the figures and read the ascertainable facts and theories. Superb.

REVIEW:  I bought this book because I love beautiful jewelry and a book full of lovely pictures was a good thing. What I didn't expect to find was a history of jewelry crafting in Britain and how the people who made jewelry built and repaired pieces. What was especially interesting was the descriptions of how they cheated by using inferior stones, gems, and metal. Also included are the laws and regulation to which the artisans were subject. I enjoyed this book and keep it where the cover with photograph of an exquisite jeweled lizard can be seen.

REVIEW:  What a superb book about this subject - it's not light reading but my interest was so captured by the detail and the stories of piracy on the high seas at that time that I read it in two days. The colour illustrations are excellent and the pictures that have been enlarged show the intricacy of the silversmithing skills at that time. I am keen to see the real jewels now if I get the opportunity.

REVIEW:  This book is based on the Museum of London's temporary exhibit, which closes 4/27/2014, on an incredible cache of jewels found in London which, for still unknown reasons, had been hidden away several hundred years previously. The jewels are incredible, and the background story leaves much to the imagination since the factual circumstances are still unknown. This book includes pictures of the jewels and some of the context and conjecture, and helped reinforce my museum visit, which was almost too much to absorb in an afternoon pass-through.

REVIEW:  Truly fascinating with wonderful pictures and well written text. So much information about the history of the hoard and how the jewelry business operated in Tudor and Stuart times. And do visit the exhibition as well!

REVIEW:  The best book what I have bought after seeing the exhibition! It not only complemented what I saw but also took me in the journey in 16th-17th century of trade of jewelry, symbolism of gemstones and objects and much more. The author had done the great job (and other team members as well)!

REVIEW:  This book was produced to accompany a recent exhibition of the Cheapside Hoard, a cache of Elizabethan/Jacobean jewelry discovered in 1912, at the Museum of London. It includes an introduction, five chapters of text, notes, indices and suggestions for further reading. A very readable text. The unedifying story of how the Hoard was discovered and acquired for the museums that hold it today. A great deal of contextual information on jewelers, their business practices and their customers in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. Insight into what jewelry meant to people in that era. High-quality pictures of various items from the hoard. Reproductions of period artworks demonstrating how jewelry was worn. Insert texts with more detailed information on particular features of the Hoard (e.g. individual items or particular types of gemstones).

REVIEW:  I love the photos in this book. They enlarge several of the hordes pieces so you can really see the detail and craftmanship. The pages covering the hordes items and their explaining what they're made of are wonderful. Most of the book though is about the history of the goldsmiths guild, with detailed photographs of the hordes items taking up pages every so often. Also portraits and town drawings take up the rest of the book. Its a pretty book, and its become one of my favorite photo books.

REVIEW:  Fabulous book that describes the Elizabethan and Jacobean jewelry trade, set in an historical context; full of interesting detail and lavishly illustrated. Excellent service by the seller. I missed the exhibition so this was the next best thing.

REVIEW:  If you want to know the history of where the hoard came from, this is the book for you. This insightful book explores what it was like the jewelry trade at Cheapside during the time the hoard would have been made. There are many wonderful pictures of the pieces as well as drawings and etchings from the 16-17th century. A very pleasant surprise!

REVIEW:  Really useful book. Probably one of the first well-illustrated (and this is a subject that requires illustrations) books on the Cheapside Hoard (or late 16th century European jewelry) that is equally useful for an expert or a passionate amateur. Well worth the money for a reference library.

REVIEW:  This is a well researched book that gives me even more information than I thought I would get when ordering it. That is a good thing here. This book sets the stage for what they found when tearing down an old building from after the Great Fire of London. It paints a vivid picture of the world from which the hoard originated.

REVIEW:  Digging in London, workers find a box of buried jewelry probably hidden in a cellar floor before the 1666 Great Fire of London. A fascinating look at what was fashionable in 17th Century England. Most of the pearls did not survive but the gold and jewels did. Book also goes into considerable detail on jewelry making in the period.

REVIEW:  Fascinating and detailed description of the Cheapside Hoard including relevant historical background. Beautiful photographs of the objects accompanied by information about the 17th c goldsmith trade.

REVIEW:  Fascinating in every particular. The gems and jewelry are vividly photographed. The story captures the character of the times in which they were used. All in all a delight to read and marvel over,

REVIEW:  Fabulous book, beautiful photos, engaging text. If you are interested in Elizabethan and Stuart life and jewelry this is a wonderful book.

REVIEW:  This was exciting to read, well researched in archival material and old records of the architecture of that area of London. Beautiful photos of the jewels.

REVIEW:  While this subject matter is somewhat obscure - anyone interested in English history of the 1600s and the historical basis of much of the way jewelry is made and labeled even today, will find this fascinating.

REVIEW:  An interesting description of the Cheapside Hoard, a treasure trove discovered buried in the Cheapside district of the City of London in 1912. The jewels are late Elizabethan and early Stuart  First-rate illustrations.

REVIEW:  Great tale of lost and found treasure. Loved the photos and the history of the era of the jewels. Nice!

REVIEW:  This is a beautiful and fascinating book. Truly a treasure story.

REVIEW:  Gives information on the Cheapside Hoard that is hard to find elsewhere.

REVIEW:  Excellent book lots of great in depth discussion on the royal jewels and other treasures.

REVIEW:  A very rare glimpse to some of the oldest gems of this part of the world. Beautifully written and photograph. A great buy for jewelry lovers and history buffs.

REVIEW:  Very enjoyable and detailed in the history of these jewels.

REVIEW:  Beautiful, well researched book.

ANCIENT JEWELRY: The art of the jeweler. Metalsmiths' shops were the training schools for many of the great artists of the Renaissance. Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Verrocchio, Ghi-berti, Pollaiuolo, and Luca della Robbia all were trained as goldsmiths before they embarked upon the higher arts. The goldsmith made silver vases for the dinner tables of cardinals; knights sent sword blades to be mounted in rich hilts; ladies came to have their jewels set; princes needed medals to commemorate their victories; popes and bishops wished to place chased reliquaries on the altars of their patron saints; and men of fashion ordered medallions to wear upon their hats.

Although many materials-including iron-have been used for jewelry, gold is by far the most satisfactory. One could not expect the same results from any other metal, for the durability and the extraordinary ductility and pliancy of gold and its property of being readily drawn out or flattened into wire or leaf of almost infinite fineness have led to its being used for works in which minute-ness and delicacy of execution were required. Gold may be soldered, it may be cast, and any kind of surface, from the rough to the highest possible polish, given to it. It is the best of all metals upon which to enamel.

Gold was easily retrieved from the gravel of river beds, where it was washed from the eroded rocks; hence it is one of the oldest metals known. Unlike most metals, gold does not tarnish on exposure to the air but remains brilliant. Pure gold is too soft for general use, but it can be hardened and toughened by alloying with most of the other metals. Color is one of its important qualities. When the metal is pure, it is nearly the orange-yellow of the solar spectrum. When it contains a little silver, it is pale yellow, or greenish yellow; and when alloyed with a little copper, it takes a reddish tinge-all so effective in varicolored jewelry.

These alloys have an ancient history, electrum, an alloy of gold and silver which assured beautiful hues, having been used by the Egyptians, Greeks, and other ancient peoples. The ancients, from the most remote times, were acquainted with the art of beating gold into thin leaves, and this leaf was used for other purposes besides personal adornment. Gold leaf was used in buildings for gilding wood, and Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were adepts in applying it. It was no great departure to introduce gilded backgrounds to paintings or figures in mosaic and finally to illuminated manuscripts.

In the use of gold Byzantium went beyond Rome or Athens. When more skill was attained by painters, backgrounds in perspective took the place of those in gold. Early examples of leaf work in this exhibition may be seen in the headdress and jewelry of Queen Shubad's ladies-in-waiting from the excavations of the royal tombs at Ur in Mesopotamia. They date from a period between 3500 and 2800 B.C.

A second step was the cutting of gold leaf into thin strips to make wire. It is still a question whether the art of wire-drawing was known to the ancients. Plaited wire-work, as used in many places and over a wide period of time, is well represented in ancient history. Fusing and soldering are also ancient techniques. Granular work, the soldering of minute grains of gold one beside the other in a line or disposed ornamentally over a surface, was known to the ancient Egyptian jewelers, as well as to the classical, oriental, and barbarian gold-smiths. This traditional technique can be traced through the centuries, splendid granular work of the ancient and modern civilizations being well represented in archaeological finds.

Filigree, the arranging of wires in patterns, usually soldered to a base, is often associated with granular work. The oriental nations, especially the Moors, knew how to execute filigree with rare delicacy and taste, this technique adapting itself particularly to their designs. Embossing and chasing are techniques of widespread use. The relief effect of embossing is produced by various means. A thin pliable sheet of metal may be pressed into molds, between dies, or over stamps, or it may be molded free hand. An excellent example of an embossed gold sheet which was pressed or hammered may be seen in the Greek sword sheath from South Russia. In handwork the sheet of metal is placed against a ground with a yielding surface and the design is raised from the back by a series of punches.

The work of the chaser is closely related to that of the sculptor, the ornament on the face of a casting or an embossed work being finished with chisels or chasing tools. Jewelry was often enriched by stamping, a simple process by which a design is made in depression with a punch., and the gold fixed by heating to redness; and the surface finally burnished. In all countries the work of the lapidary was combined with that of the goldsmith.

Much jewelry depended for its splendor of effect chiefly upon its inlay of brilliantly colored stones, jaspers, agates, lapis lazuli. Much of the commoner kinds of jewelry, such as buckles for the belts of warriors or brooches for the vestments of ecclesiastics too poor to buy silver or gold, were made of bronze, enameled and mercury-gilded. Mercury-gilding is a process of great antiquity. The object was first carefully polished and rubbed with mercury; thin gold was then laid on and pressed down, the mercury being subsequently volatilized, and so forth, or upon colored glass inlays.

The Egyptians and Greeks were incomparable artists in intaglio (cutting concave designs or figures) in gold, and one notes with astonishment the mastery they possessed over the stubborn hard stones, including the sapphire. A Greek gold ring with an intaglio engraving of a girl stretching herself is one of the finest in ancient history. The engraver's art both in cameo and in intaglio attained a high degree of excellence about 500 B.C., which lasted until about the third or fourth century A.D. The classical artists used rich and warm-tinted oriental stones, the increased intercourse with the East after the death of Alexander the Great having a marked influence on the development of the art.

In gem-engraving the ancients used essentially the same principle that is in use today, that is, drilling with a revolving tool. They also used a sapphire or diamond point set in a handle and applied like a graver. In early medieval times gem-engraving was little practiced, but antique cameos were held in peculiar veneration on ac-count of the belief, then universal, in their potency as medicinal charms. With the Renaissance, the art of gem-engraving was revived, and engravers from that time onward have produced results equal to the best ancient work.

Glass in ancient times was so precious that some nations demanded tribute in this fragile material instead of gold. It is said that a citizen invented a method for making malleable glass and was invited to visit the Roman Emperor Tiberius. He brought a vase, which was thrown to the ground but only dented. A hammer again rounded it into shape. Tiberius then asked whether any other man knew the secret of manufacture. The artisan answered no, whereupon the emperor ordered him beheaded.

Glass inlay, widely used from Egyptian times, is often wrongly called enamel. It is not enamel, which, although a vitreous material, is employed in the powdered state and always fused into position by heat, whereas the glass inlay was always cut or molded and cemented into position. This glass inlay is often referred to as paste, which in the modern sense means glass with a high refractive index and high luster employed to imitate the diamond. Good examples of paste may be seen in some eighteenth-century English and French.

For centuries Egypt was the “promised land” of the ancient civilized world, for the Pharaohs had at their disposal enormous stores of gold. The Egyptians excelled in metal-work, especially in gold, and many techniques employed by goldsmiths today can be seen in ancient Egyptian jewelry, particularly for instance the treasure of el LThuin, which was recovered in its entirety and in nearly the same perfect condition in which it had been placed in the tomb; or the jewelry which had once graced the person of the Princess Sit Hathor Yuinet, daughter of King Se'n-Wosret II, who reigned from 1906 to 1887 B.C. and near whose pyramid, at el Lahfin, she was buried.

Her girdle, one of the outstanding pieces of ancient jewelry, is of amethyst beads and hollow gold panther-head ornaments, inside which pellets tinkled whenever the wearer moved. From the same treasure there is the neck-lace with a pectoral of King Se'n-Wosret II. On either side of the pectoral the hawk of the god Horus supports the cartouche of the king and a group of hieroglyphics which signify, "May King Se'n-Wosret II live many hundreds of thousands of years." The pectoral is gold inlaid with lapis lazuli, car-nelian, and turquoise, and the eyes of the shape made of actual flowers, fruits, and leaves, which were presented to guests to wear at banquets and other festivities.

Brilliant color is one of the most attractive characteristics of Egyptian jewelry. It had its origin in the beads, both of semi-precious stones and of faience, which were widely worn during the Old Kingdom (2800-2270 B.C.). Beads of faience of different colors were also in fashion during the XVIII Dynasty. The composition of the broad collars of faience of this period was derived from ornaments of the same engraving, soldering, and metal intaglio.

The Greek jeweler, like the Egyptian, excelled in the arts of embossing and chasing. Greece had little access to precious stones before Alexander's Eastern conquests, and so from the sixth to the fourth century B.C. the jeweler specialized in metalwork. He was a master of both granulated and filigree decoration, and he did exquisite work in plaiting gold into chains and in modeling it into little figures, both human and animal. Much of the best of Greek jewelry is sculpture in little. Ornamental goldwork naturally required more minute workman ship than sculpture in bronze and marble, and excellent modeling often makes little objects impressive as well as intricate.

A few famous examples of ancient Greek jewelry, such as an earring in the form of a siren, is a charming example of Greek jeweler's modeling. Other examples include a pair of earrings of the fourth century B.C. from Madytos on the Hellespont, as well as an eagle and a palmette made of hammered gold sheets; the feathers of the eagle are incised; each leaf is edged with beaded wire; and the fruit is covered with granulation. Another example might be a bracelet, of rock crystal, with gold finials, each finely embossed with a ram's head, which shows skillfully modeled figures, as well as plaited chains, and filigree and granular work of rare minuteness.

The Ganymede jewelry, made soon after 350 B.C., is one of the most precious sets that have come out of antiquity. Most techniques are represented on the earrings, bracelets, brooches, necklace, and emerald ring. On the earrings the figures of Ganymede are solid castings; Ganymede's drapery, the wings and tail. The technique of Etruscan goldwork is much the same as that of the Greek. The metal is thin, it is pressed or beaten out in designs in low relief, and it is further decorated by the surface application of filigree and small granules of gold. Several molds of stone have been discovered, and it is probable that the thin gold was pressed into the mold by means of a metal or agate style, solder being used to fix the separate pieces of gold together whenever necessary. Some of the granulated work is so fine that without a magnifying glass it is almost impossible to believe that the patterns are actually laid on with an infinite number of minute spherical grains. The burial chamber of an Etruscan lady, near Vulci, opened over a century ago, yielded a rich parure.

Archaeologists have recovered several headdresses reflecting the custom Chinese women had of decking their hair with floral ornaments. These are richly colored, and some of the materials used in them, besides gold, are amber, coral, seed pearls, and an exclusively Chinese material-bright blue kingfisher feathers. In Chinese jewelry the art of the metal-worker achieves an exquisite delicacy. A famous golden phoenix crown shows perhaps most clearly of all the works in the exhibition the ability of the goldsmith to take infinite pains. It has more than thirty separate ornaments, made of different con-formations of gold wire and decorated with pearls and other stones.

Many of the ornaments are set on tiny springs so that they quiver with the slightest movement. jade, exquisitely carved. With the exception of pearls, the Chinese did not use precious stones. The prettiness and color of Chinese jewelry tempt one to describe it at length, but according to a Chinese proverb, "A thousand words do not compare with one look." The Japanese also rank high as metalworkers, their sword furniture, the jewelry of the Japanese nobleman, especially showing the subtle skill of the artist in manipulating hard and soft metals. In enriching the fittings many processes of metal ornamentation-relief carving, relief inlay or applique, overlay, incised and recessed carving-are employed. It is the combination of techniques and alloys which makes their work of outstanding interest to jewelers as well as to the amateur. Today these fittings are often worn as jewelry in the West. In Japan sword furniture is frequently signed by masters as well known as famous painters. The Greek jeweler, like the Egyptian, excelled in the arts of embossing, chasing, A glance at the magnificent weapons from Persia, Turkey, and India will remove any impression that the love of personal adornment is a purely feminine attribute. Orientals often wear daggers embellished with silver and semiprecious stones even over their most ragged clothes, which shows that they take life with a gesture. In India perhaps more than anywhere else, jewelry has played a vital role in the life of the people, from the lowest rank to the highest. Although none of the Indian jewelry is much older than the eighteenth century, it represents designs and methods of decoration that go back to much earlier periods, some of them reflecting the influence of Hellenistic civilization. Some pieces are made of gold or silver alone, others are richly set with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds or decorated with enamel. The Greek jeweler, like the Egyptian, excelled in the arts of embossing, chasing, Much of this jewelry was made in Jaipur, which was particularly famous for its enamelwork. A gold bracelet with dragon-head terminals is an outstanding example of combined jeweled and enameled work. The backs of jeweled ornaments were often enameled with fine patterns, so that the reverse of a necklace or pendant would be as fine in effect as the right side. The jewelry of the nomadic Iranian tribes is represented by a few choice pieces cast in gold and chased. These include many Scythian ornaments, winged griffins, stags, and rosettes, which were used as decoration on clothing; and two clasps of about the first century A.D., Sarmatian and Parthian in origin.

The Middle Ages are perhaps best represented by an extensive collection of jewelry from the Morgan collection, of the period of the barbarian migrations and of the Byzantine period. The gold ornaments in the Albanian Treasure (seventh-ninth century) are thought to be the work of nomad craftsmen in the train of barbarian tribes migrating through the Balkans from Central Asia. The splendid collections of Gallo-Roman, Germanic, and Merovingian jewelry, distinctive features of which are the colored glass inlays and the filigree and beaded work in gold, need only be mentioned, for they have been described and illustrated in the catalogues of Seymour de Ricci. They were made from the fourth to the eighth century A.D., the latest probably not exceeding the reign of Charlemagne (742- 814).

It was Charlemagne who stopped the custom of burying the dead with their weapons and jewelry because all the wealth was going into the ground instead of into the treasury. The result is that much fine jewelry was melted down. The Eastern influence which had come westwards after the year 330, when Constantine transferred his court from Rome to Byzantium (Constantinople), is seen in many pieces of ancient jewelry. The goldsmiths followed the Emperor Constantine to Byzantium, and from there came many marvels of art and beauty as presents to the Western churches. The jewelry in the treasure (sixth century) found on the island of Cyprus is in the Eastern style. It was probably buried during the Arab invasion of the island.

About the beginning of the eleventh century the Byzantine influence had been largely spent, and new styles were introduced. Families of monks, animated by one spirit and educated in the same way, lived in monasteries which were schools of ecclesiastical goldsmiths. They built and adorned their churches; they hammered, chased, and enameled gold, silver, and bronze. Altar fronts, pyxes, lamps, patens, chalices, crosses, candlesticks, and reliquaries were made, and most of their motives of design, methods of working, and chemical processes were the common property of the abbeys. Lay craftsmen, too, devoted more of their energies than previously to building cathedrals and creating ecclesiastical art, and there is consequently a close connection between the work of the architect and the mediaeval goldsmith.

This ecclesiastical influence is seen in a late eleventh-century book cover of silver-gilt, ivory, cabochons, and enamel, from the cathedral of Jaca. Before the multiplication of books by printing, their covers had more to do with the goldsmith's art than with that of the binder. Architectural influence is shown in the French thirteenth-century reliquary of Saint Margaret. Reliquaries like this were master-pieces of work in precious metals. They were built up of innumerable plates soldered together, with buttresses, pinnacles, and traceried windows, like little models of churches or small chapels. During the Renaissance, During the Renaissance, everything that could be gold was gold, not only jewelry but plate; and dresses for men and women and even horse trappings were made of cloth of gold. It was an age when the setting of a gem or the molding of a goblet was a matter that would occupy a grave potentate to the exclusion of affairs of state. In order to satisfy the demands of the time Columbus set out not to discover another continent but to find a convenient route to India, the land of gold, pearls, and spices. The Renaissance goldsmiths made the most of the mediaeval tradition in technique and in due course they developed perfection in workmanship. The rich and varied pendants are splendid examples of the renaissance jeweler’s art.

This type of ornament originated in devotional usage, and during the Middle Ages its decoration was almost always of religious significance. The pendant was a conspicuous ornament and was usually of fine workmanship. Portrait medallions, especially those of historical personages, were made by distinguished masters. A splendid pendant, representing Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland, is signed by Jacobus Veron (Gian Jacopo Caraglio) and is dated 1554. The cameo portrait of the queen is sardonyx, her chain and hair ornament gold. The Visconti-Sforza arms on the reverse are enameled gold. Among the enseignes, ornaments worn on the turned-back brim of the hat or cap, one superb historical example is one in gold skillfully embossed.

Cellini, in his “Treatise on Goldsmithing,” explains how such embossing was done. In principle, a sheet of gold is beaten from the back with punches until it is bossed up much like the wax model. He completes the explanation by telling of a visit to his workshop by Michelangelo, who complimented him on a gold medal embossed in high relief. Michelangelo reputedly said: “If this work were made in great, whether of marble or of bronze, and fashioned with as exquisite design as this, it would astonish the world; and even in its present size it seems to me so beautiful that I do not think ever a goldsmith of the ancient world fashioned aught to come up to it!” Another technique explained by Cellini is the “beautiful art of enameling.” A splendid example of this technique may be seen on a fine cups, of red jasper mounted with enameled gold and precious stones. It should be compared with the Cellini cup in the Altman collection.

Personal jewelry of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries can be characterized by snuffboxes and carnets de bal (dance programs), precisely executed, showing the quality of the era’s workmanship. Such boxes, of varicolored gold, jeweled, and set with miniature portraits of their donors, were the favorite gifts of kings and princes. They were enormously costly in their day and they have always been precious collectors’ items. Some of them be- longed to persons famous in history, some are signed by famous jewelers, and all illustrate the extravagant vanities of the time. During the seventeenth century, there developed an increasing fondness for faceted gems set close together to produce glittering masses. Gradually the setting was subordinated to the precious stones, and this is the modern style.

SHIPPING & RETURNS/REFUNDS: We always ship books domestically (within the USA) via USPS INSURED media mail (“book rate”). Most international orders cost an additional $17.99 to $48.99 for an insured shipment in a heavily padded mailer. There is also a discount program which can cut postage costs by 50% to 75% if you’re buying about half-a-dozen books or more (5 kilos+). Our postage charges are as reasonable as USPS rates allow. ADDITIONAL PURCHASES do receive a VERY LARGE discount, typically about $5 per book (for each additional book after the first) so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs.

Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. All of our shipments are fully insured against loss, and our shipping rates include the cost of this coverage (through stamps.com, Shipsaver.com, the USPS, UPS, or Fed-Ex). International tracking is provided free by the USPS for certain countries, other countries are at additional cost.

We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. Please note for international purchasers we will do everything we can to minimize your liability for VAT and/or duties. But we cannot assume any responsibility or liability for whatever taxes or duties may be levied on your purchase by the country of your residence. If you don’t like the tax and duty schemes your government imposes, please complain to them. We have no ability to influence or moderate your country’s tax/duty schemes.

If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked 30-day return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price; 1) less our original shipping/insurance costs, 2) less any non-refundable fees imposed by eBay. Please note that eBay may not refund payment processing fees on returns beyond a 30-day purchase window. So except for shipping costs, we will refund all proceeds from the sale of a return item. Though they generally do, eBay may not always follow suit. Obviously we have no ability to influence, modify or waive eBay policies.

ABOUT US: Prior to our retirement we used to travel to Eastern Europe and Central Asia several times a year seeking antique gemstones and jewelry from the globe’s most prolific gemstone producing and cutting centers. Most of the items we offer came from acquisitions we made in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) during these years from various institutions and dealers. Much of what we generate on Etsy, Amazon and Ebay goes to support worthy institutions in Europe and Asia connected with Anthropology and Archaeology. Though we have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, our primary interests are ancient/antique jewelry and gemstones, a reflection of our academic backgrounds.

Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia antique gemstones are commonly dismounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset. Before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, we try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them originally crafted a century or more ago. We believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting.

Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with us that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today. We can set most any antique gemstone you purchase from us in your choice of styles and metals ranging from rings to pendants to earrings and bracelets; in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, and 14kt gold fill. When you purchase from us, you can count on quick shipping and careful, secure packaging. We would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from us. There is a $3 fee for mailing under separate cover. I will always respond to every inquiry whether via email or eBay message, so please feel free to write.

  • Condition: BRAND NEW. A landmark publication that delves into the complex and often murky world of the London goldsmith trade.
  • Length: 256 pages
  • Dimensions: 9¾ x 7¾ inches; 2½ pounds
  • Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers (2013)

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