Jewellery of the Empire period in Norway

Transcription

1 Jewellery of the Empire period in Norway The rediscovery of the Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the 18th century led to the emergence of a new interest in the art and architecture of antiquity in Europe. Classical models influenced taste and ideals, and the spare forms of the antique temples displaced the playfulness of rococo. Napoleon was instrumental to the new style, which was established in the period up to The new generation wanted to mark its distance from the extravagant luxury that had stamped the court at Versailles in the past. The art of antiquity was associated with bourgeois ideals, and became the new prototype. During his campaigns Napoleon had records made of antique buildings, and under his influence classicism became an imperial style Empire style. However, the jewellery of the Empire period had few direct antecedents in antiquity but is more an expression of a separate aesthetic. The jewellery was adapted to the fashion of the time, which saw women wearing floaty dresses with low necklines and high waists. For everyday wear with these, the women wore long chains, often with a locket or medallion. Chains of gold or pearls could also be worn choker style around the neck. Bib necklaces comprising several elements to adorn the décolletage were made for wealthier women. Bracelets could consist of fine links, and some had bangles fixed above the elbow. The hair was worn up, which perfectly set off large earrings. The earrings could be several lightweight rings joined together, or could be designed to hang down. Women of the Empire period also wore decorated hairpins or combs. The diadem was the novelty of the age and was worn low on the forehead with a high centre section tapering to the ears. A sense of unity was striven for, and the upper classes would order complete sets of jewellery comprising diadem, necklaces, chains, bracelets, rings and shoe buckles, all made to exactly the same design. The new fashion emerged in Paris and spread quickly to other countries, reaching Norway via Germany and Denmark towards the end of the 18th century and, after the Union with Sweden in 1814, via the French Swedish court of Karl Johan. But we were influenced by England too, where a new style inspired by antiquity had also emerged but in a simpler idiom than in France. The development of cheaper, industrially produced silver plate, known as Sheffield plate, played a part in spreading English taste and style far and wide. Jewellery from the Empire period in Norway has been reworked, melted down, stolen and lost. Nevertheless, based on what has been preserved we can form a picture of the jewellery of this period. The elaborate sets and court jewellery were little used in Norway, where the emphasis was more on smaller pieces such as chains, rings, bracelets, earrings and combs. In particular, a large number of brooches and lockets have been preserved, showing that these particular items were popular during the Empire period in Norway. Much of the jewellery was bought from abroad. Patrician merchants ordered gifts and objects on their travels to take home with them. The period of prosperity in the latter part of the 18th century also provided work for Norwegian goldsmiths who made jewellery, but in 1

2 the years of hardship that followed the Napoleonic wars there were few customers who could indulge in such luxuries. In Norway, the English taste for restraint and simplicity prevailed, and this is what characterises the jeweller s art of the Norwegian Empire period. The jewellery is relatively small, and often flat and light in weight. The oval is a basic form, appearing in many pieces, particularly lockets and brooches. The distinct transition between different elements seen in the architecture of the period is carried over into jewellery in the form of borders of seed pearls or filigree knots. The filigree technique flourished anew in the Empire period and was widely used by goldsmiths in Norway. Fine gold threads were used to edge precious stones and lockets, or combined to form lightweight earrings. There is often a sentimental theme to Empire jewellery, and lockets and brooches were often memorial pieces, sometimes with initials: of the owner, his wife or someone who had died. A glass surface covers lyrical scenes, or simply symbols such as hearts, burning fire, lyres and wreaths. A large number of lockets containing miniature portraits have also been preserved in Norway, often with an allegorical scene on the reverse. Brooches were made for both women and men; men often wore a brooch on their chest. Pieces of jewellery incorporating hair were popular. A single lock of hair could form part of a memorial piece, but hair could also form the background for a decorative motif in a locket or brooch. Complete bracelets and earrings were also made from hair, often with a gold setting and clasp. Enamel was a popular material in the Empire period; the pure, smooth surface it produced suited the taste of the time and could be used to coat bracelets or rings. The classical art of the cameo also enjoyed a renaissance thanks to Napoleon s predilection for the antique. Both cameos and gemstones with engraved motifs were extremely popular. Like the cameos, small pieces of metal with silhouettes were worn as brooches or pendants, but could also be fastened together using several fine chains and worn as necklaces or bracelets. A characteristic trait of the jewellery of this period was the wide variation in materials, something which increased further throughout the 19th century as industrialism influenced the jeweller s art. Jewellery gradually came to be produced from new materials such as iron and steel, using many types of coloured and semi-precious stones. From the 1830s onwards, gold plate was increasingly popular and used as a surround for large coloured gemstones such as garnet and topaz. Form and expression were no longer so strict and rigid, and the softer Biedermeier style became pre-eminent in jewellery too. 2

3 Christine Johanne Blom Aall ( ) adorned with several pieces of jewellery typical of the Empire period. (Photo: Tom Riis) Brooch and earrings belonging to Christine Johanne Blom Aall, worn when she had her portrait painted. Agate set in gold. Gold filigree and enamel ring set with 20 pearls in a garland. Date

4 Eugenie Faye Aall ( ) wearing diamond drop earrings dating from 1763, bought in Paris. (See below) The diamond drop earrings belonging to Amborg J. W. Aall (mother of cabinet minister Niels Aall). 4

5 Mariane Diderikke von Cappelen Aall ( ), painted wearing an Empire-line dress. Signet used by cabinet minister Niels Aall, or by his grandfather of the same name. Probably agate, set in gold, c This locket depicts Nicolai Benjamin Aall ( ), the youngest brother of cabinet minister Niels Aall. 5

6 Locket with miniature portrait of Niels Aall (the cabinet minister) as a young man, wearing a wig; made in Paris in This locket is a very typical piece of Empire jewellery. Inscribed with the words Aldrig ustemt [never out of harmony] and the initials NA (Niels Aall). From around Oval locket containing Amborg Aall s hair sewn in a lozenge pattern on the front. The back is inscribed Arv velsignelsen [inherit the blessing]. 6

7 Bracelet given to Karen Aall by her parents at Christmas Its first owner was Karen s great-grandmother, Nini Wedel-Jarlsberg. This locket with a portrait of Nicolai Benjamin has an attractive reverse featuring a lock of hair and pearls on a brown background. Text: Sigrid Wegge Tandberg Jewellery of the Empire period in Norway is published in connection with the exhibition Jewellery of the manor house at Ulefos Manor. 7