Red Heart Pendant

Description

The shapes and decorative motifs on our Red Heart Pendant were developed from a design for an engraved niello ornament that appears in a Renaissance book in the Museum’s collection. Niello, the use of an alloy filling engraved areas that when heated and polished contrasted with metal outlines, was especially popular during the Renaissance and later with Dutch engravers of the 16th and 17th centuries. It became fashionable again during the Victorian era, offering a preview of the ornate motifs and fluid lines of Art Nouveau. 24 kt. gold-plated copper and enamel. Pendant length 1 1/8 in., width 1 in.; chain length 18 in.