Adornment & Artisanal Artistry: Renaissance Necklace Jewelry

Please enjoy this Renaissance audio track below to accompany reading.

Jewelry in the Renaissance became a highly regarded art form, with intricate detailing and meticulous particularity. Jewelry has been an integral part of various cultures throughout history, depicting religious imagery, illustrating social status, and more. Made of a variety of materials specific to different regions, jewelry is a model of the heavy trade and exchange of ideas that occurred throughout the Global Renaissance. Ivory and gemstones traveling from various sources around the world make up beautiful pendants worn only by those who could afford such luxuries (Evans). Alongside this, production of these pieces was a massive and experimental industry of developing styles and symbolic themes. The Renaissance age boomed with varied production through different methods of trade, casting, and transportation to create unique and intricate pieces of jewelry and art ("Renaissance Jewelry").

Necklaces, pendants, and necklace charms in the Renaissance were widely popular, often accompanied by jewels, inscriptions, and pendants. Renaissance styling consisted of brooch-like use in pendants, typically paired with a gold chain to hang from, then decoratively pinned to the clothing. However, it was not atypical to wear a pendant on a gold necklace chain, but the versatility of a pendant is what drew so much attention during the European Renaissance, in particular. Other cultures, like the Aztecs and the Islamic world, took a particularly symbolic route, gravitating more towards beads and details than large pendants. Intricate details of necklaces were emphasized, often with a separate tiny sculpture or inscription on the back of pendants and cameos. From the European Renaissance also emerged the engravings of couples’ initials on jewelry. This is the age of diamonds becoming a regular material used in jewelry, as new cutting methods developed, and gemstones were better understood throughout the Global Renaissance (Evans).

Gold, a plentiful resource throughout a variety of different regions, is one of the cornerstones of jewelry during the Renaissance period. As an easily malleable and manipulated resource, gold was used for a range of different articles and styles, from earring hooks to brooch pins. The jewelry discussed in depth here is marked by the use of gold and the work of various skilled laborers in conjunction to create one piece of art, contributing their skill to a beautiful, finished product hailing from places like France, Mesoamerica, and the Islamic world. Production was rapidly developing, with different artisans specializing in gemstone shaping, gold setting, and more. Because of this, jewelry production was not an individual endeavor, but an effort carried out through a vast array of artisans (Grancsay, 216). 

This cameo pendant is entitled Prudence, a design created by the French artist Etienne Delaune in 1550-1560 AD. It is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is 3 3/16 x 1 7/8 in. (8.2 x 4.8 cm), which is on the larger end for this type of jewelry. Materials used include gold mounting with enamel figure work, and surrounding the figural subject are chalcedony, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and pearls. Prudence, the centerpiece of the pendant, is adorned in jewels and gold, emphasizing her respected status as the female personification of virtue. The variety of high-value materials indicates that this piece of jewelry was expensive to create and expensive to acquire. The exchange of ideas, beliefs, and resources collaborating in Europe can be seen especially through this piece, as the consistency of the classically inspired detailed, naturalistic European style is demonstrated in the features of Prudence and her clothing (Romanekova et al., 323). Trade is also represented in this piece through the presence of the pearl hanging from the bottom of the pendant. Because of the exchange of goods becoming more widespread, pearls became readily available to jewelers. Pearls were often sourced from areas like India, Persia, and the Caribbean ("Pearls in the Renaissance: AMNH").

Prudence is an ancient Greek and Roman character, known most commonly as a female personification of virtue in classical antiquity. To demonstrate her virtue, she gazes into a diamond mirror in both the pendant and many other depictions like the one shown to the right. Diamonds are the hardest stone, offering brilliant flash and a reflective surface. Because of these characteristics, diamond was a clever choice to represent a mirror in this work. Gemstones adorn the portrait, almost like a frame. The colorful stones exemplify the extravagance and high cost of such articles like gemstone pendants. The shimmering jewels draw attention to Prudence herself, housed within a ring of color. Prudence lightly grasps a serpent, symbolic of wisdom. Her cloak is gilt, showing the elegance and importance of her status as a powerful figure. Gold is heavily present throughout this work, demonstrating its grandeur through Prudence's clothes and the ellipse of a frame that surrounds her. The pearl, stationed as a decorative dangle at the bottom of the piece, was a highly regarded material representing wealth and status, as these expensive gems were accessible only to the higher class (Wardropper, 37). Tiny detailing drills were used to carve out the enamel to form Prudence’s face. This was a very meticulous task, requiring precision and a steady hand (Draper).

This French piece with Greco-Roman imagery combined mythology, hardstone gems, and gold to create a single piece of jewelry. Known as Epiphron in Greek mythology and Prudentia in Roman mythology, Prudentia is a symbol of reflection, a call to think through options and actions before following through. Perhaps this pendant was used as a good omen for introspection and self-awareness, or as a reminder. The naturalism with which she is portrayed is characteristic of French and European style, creating a recognizable human portrait with the idealization often associated with Renaissance naturalism. Considering the grandeur of this piece, it probably would have been available only to someone of high financial standing.  European Renaissance jewelry was not restricted to only the highest classes, but those higher up in the social hierarchy would have their own personal jewelers who could create and produce designs specifically for the family they were working for (Romanekova, 320). 

These multiple frog ornaments from the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York, NY were made in approximately the 15  ^th   to early 16  ^th   century by an unknown artist and considered to be Aztec or Mixtec, indigenous Mesoamerican peoples who inhabited Mexico. These frog ornaments would likely have been strung along a chain as “beads” as a sort of decorative touch to whatever necklace or pendant was already being worn on the chest. The advanced production technology used by the Aztecs allowed for more straightforward and effective production methods. These new advancements created more consistent results through molds rather than each individual charm. The usage of these molds resulted in more uniformity in making multiples of the same subject ("The Aztec Empire").

These necklace ornaments reflect how the Aztecs often used highly symbolic subject matter like shells, frogs, and turtles when creating pieces of jewelry (“Necklace Ornaments, Frogs..."). These ornaments are highly decorative, and they are consistent and detailed in their features. These frog charms are detailed down to their webbed toes. Their faces are defined with indentations suggesting eyes and a mouth. When examined closely, some of the frogs contain undercuts, small openings that are very hard to achieve with a mold, attesting to the meticulous work that was put towards the details. These frogs were made through an aforementioned casting method, in which each frog individually had a clay cast from which it was molded and broken open once the gold hardened into a solid. The gold is polished, showing the care that went into making the ornaments perfectly presentable for the important wearer. The frog ornaments are aligned in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's photograph in a necklace formation, and they would have had small holes drilled through the middle to string them along a chain to embellish a necklace, or to wear alone on a chain. These would be worn primarily by Aztec nobility, as the frogs symbolize fertility through the frog’s natural position that suggests childbirth. Prudence and the frog ornaments cross over in this aspect: both are used as a symbol and omen of good fortune in terms of feminine virtue and fertility, respectively. Nobility in Aztec society was passed through both men and women in lineage ("The Aztec Empire"). These frogs are also heavily associated with water and rain, things essential to the development of life and the growth of all things ("The Aztec Empire"). These charms carry motifs of nature and animal life, while the Prudence pendant is entirely figural and mythological. Necklaces, bracelets, and pieces of that variety held a great deal of symbolic importance in Aztec culture.

The frog charms are made of gold that the Aztecs harvested from their territory and land throughout Mexico. Gold was one of, if not the most, popular material for the Aztecs to produce jewelry. Gold was reserved for those with class and high status, while common folk wore jewelry made of predominantly clay (King, 45). This accessibility to jewelry itself and the difference in quality is evident in both the Aztec and European world, as social hierarchy played a major role in the accessibility of certain objects, jewelry being one of the most prominent of these ("Renaissance Jewelry").  

This necklace is known to be of Mixtec culture, showcasing uniformity in multiples of the same bead. The necklace was found in the Oaxaca area of Mexico. The 34 beads at the innermost row of the necklace are modeled after jaguar molars, and created through the lost wax process. The loops, located directly beneath the row of molars, were modeled in wax by the artist, then cast in gold to create the lace effect. The molars are seen in the top part of the necklace, with loops and rings connecting the teeth to the jingling bells in the outermost row, all hanging from the molars ("Necklace with Beads...").

With closer inspection, it should be noted that the loops connecting the foundation beads to the teeth are identical to the toes of the Aztec frog beads. These are better defined as "'false-filigree' loops. False filigree refers to the process where artisans, rather than applying individual strands of metal, modeled the loops in wax and then cast them, creating a delicate lace pattern" ("Necklace with Beads..."). This detail furthers the idea of consistency through the reliable production methods that Mixtec cultures developed during the Renaissance. There are many similarities between the frog beads and this necklace, but this piece comes whole, rather than in the form of multiple charms.

Interestingly, there have been discoveries of necklaces from Mixtec cultures containing real teeth and bones. Jaguars were heavily associated with political power and royal status in Oaxaca, as well as other Mesoamerican regions. Jaguars were called upon in times of war, as well as in hunting and in many rituals. Jaguar warriors were assigned this title to denote their elite status in the Aztec military. These highly respected animals were incredibly important to Mixtec cultures, explaining why so much time, energy, and particularity was devoted to creating this work of art ("Necklace with Beads...").

These necklace beads from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY were created in the second half of the 15  ^th   century and production is attributed to Spain (though the subject matter is entirely Islamic). This piece’s origin in Spain is not surprising, as the Islamic population in Spain was largely present and widespread throughout the country (Rosser-Owen, 110). Each bead measures to about 7/8 of an inch, in two sets of six sealed together by the ends protruding from the end of each bead. Perhaps the closure of the necklace (absent from the display images) connected the two strands, and the other ends may have been connected to a pendant at one point in time (Jenkins and Keene, 91).

The beads are predominantly gold, detailed with ornate patterning and a band of red, white, and green enamel in the middle. The red segment of the band features the floral imagery often associated with Islamic decorative style (Jenkins and Keene, 100). The green showcases the tiny, nearly undetectable Arabic script. Religious themes are heavily present in every bead, each one containing an enameled cartouche around the middle, representing a scroll-like form that features an inscription reading “Glory is God’s alone” in Arabic ("Beads from a Necklace"). The swirled gold detailing surrounding each colored band of enamel is characteristically Islamic. The small gold intricacies in each bead surrounding the enamel draw attention to and complement the band, swirling inwards to the center. The band features a white shape that is reminiscent of a flower with four petals. These beads are very small in size, indicating the meticulous workmanship in the artist’s process of production. The inscription cannot be seen from far away, probably measuring in at a few millimeters at most, the zoomed view of the piece on the right shows a more detailed view of the characters. The small size of the text indicates that the religious lettering must have been very personal to the owner.

These details relate to both the small scale and use of embellishment in the Aztec frog beads that were strung along a chain. The small details in both works demonstrate that the artisans and workmen who produced these jewelry pieces were dedicated artists, perfecting uniformity across several individual beads. Unlike the Aztec frogs, these beads are connected rather than individual beads, like the frogs. The beads were also drilled through for customization stringing along a chain. These Islamic beads are in no way figural like the Prudence pendant, instead pursuing a route of floral and Islamic verses. Whereas Prudence can be interpreted as a more vague moral reminder, these beads are explicitly religious with their inscriptions. Prudence and these Islamic beads both utilize gold detailing and round, circular forms. These subtle details elevate the work as a whole, adding a level of particularity and delicacy. Islamic art is a unique form, yet it can still be compared to other cultures’ styles and motifs in various ways. 

Glory is God's Alone

Jewelry in the Renaissance was a huge industry that was demonstrative of various cultures, motifs, subjects, beliefs, and religion. These works, Prudence, the Aztec frog beads, and the Islamic necklace beads are uniquely individual, but there is plenty of overlap with production methods and the availability of jewelry for populations of noblemen and other high social class. Necklace jewelry in the Renaissance was widely varied throughout the world, as some focused more on pendants than beads, and vice versa.

The presence of gold as a common factor is also an indicator of what was most popular, as it is consistent across various cultures and continents (King, 32). Necklace jewelry was a business that required steady hands, dedication, and focus in order to create such ornate details like swirls, facial features, and the anatomical makeup of animals. Renaissance-era necklace jewelry was widely unique, yet drew upon aspects of trade, symbols, individual styles, and detailing procedures (Grancsay, 218). Its availability and access to the public varied, mainly due to the price, cost of production, and social status ("Renaissance Jewelry"). Social status was emphasized through extravagant jewelry, but the inherent significance of jewelry is not so shallow as to end there. Jewelry and adornment often nodded to symbolism, mythological themes, and religious imagery. 

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