Jewellery in the age of Queen Victoria : a mirror to the world / Charlotte Gere and Judy Rudoe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gere, Charlotte.

Contributor:

Rudoe, Judy.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

British Museum.

Jewelry, Victorian.

Physical Description:

552 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 30 cm

Place of Publication:

London : British Museum, [2010]

Summary:

"The 'age of Victoria' is taken in its widest sense to encompass jewellery made throughout Europe and America, displayed at the great international exhibitions and distributed through foreign trade, illustrated publications and a burgeoning tourist industry ... The focus of the book is on the attitudes of owners to their jewellery and the symbolic weight that it was expected to carry. Rather than concentrating on the major figures at the top end of the jewellery trade, or indeed offering a chronological survey of the development of jewellery styles and fashions, it is oriented towards the social aspects of owning, wearing and displaying jewellery. The authors show, for example, how novelists use jewellery to add a moral or metaphorical dimension to a character, while jewels depicted in portraits would often have disclosed multiple messages which could be immediately decoded by the viewer. The achievements of science, the fascination with nature and the Victorian sense of humour are all embodied in jewellery. Topics discussed in depth include the importance of jewellery in the life of the Queen herself, jewellery and dress, the language of jewellery, the cult of novelty, the importance of nationalism in the revival of historical styles, and the contribution of archaeological discoveries."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Queen Victoria : a life in jewellery

The role of jewellery, public and private

Jewellery and dress

The language of jewellery

The cult of novelty. What the papers say : jewellery and topical events ; Jewellery and scientific or technical inventions ; The impact of the stage ; Surprise, deception and not so hidden messages ; Nature imitating nature : jewellery and animal products

Britain and the world. The international exhibitions ; Links with the East : India, the Islamic world, China and Japan ; The role of "peasant" and regional jewellery from continental Europe

Nationalism and historical styles in jewellery. Historical revival jewellery in England ; Historicism in France : style romantique and Renaissance revival ; Germany and the passion for "Alt-Deutsch"

Archaeological discoveries and national identity. The Egyptian revival ; The Assyrian revival ; The Castellani and the Italian Risorgimento ; The influence of Castellani outside Italy ; The Scandinavian revival ; The Celtic revival and Irish national identity ; The recreation of tradition in Scotland

Victorian cameos

Souvenirs of travel at home and abroad.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780714128191

0714128198

OCLC:

467757124