Emma Hawkins: A Natural World
Emma Hawkins: A Natural World
Lot Closed
January 19, 02:32 PM GMT
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Three gold-mounted coral pendants, Italy and England, possibly 17th century and later
the first, a gold-mounted precious pink coral pendant, probably Italian, possibly 17th century, carved in the shape of an arm and a hand, wearing a turquoise cabochon-set ring and holding a group of carved coral lucky charms on a gold hoop, the gold mounts with filigree decoration, apparently unmarked; the second a gold-mounted red coral pendant, probably Thomas Hitchman, London, 1796, fully hallmarked, the third a gold-mounted black coral pendant, apparently unmarked
gold and silver
According to Historical sources, some of the most renowned masters of coral were the Jews working in Trapani, a small community of artisans relocated to Naples over the course of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. By 1600, fleets of special coral boats called carolline sailed daily from Naples to port of Torre del Greco to satisfy the increased demands. During the 1800’s English nobles on their “Grand Tours of Europe made Naples an obligatory stop, gobbling up corals and ancient cameos, which made their way into British private collections.
For centuries red coral amulets in Europe dates to at least ancient Rome, when it was believed that wearing branches of coral warded off the evil eye and cured sterility. Pliny the Elder is said to have recommended coral to protect against lighting strikes and temptresses.
Children in Italy in the middle ages were given a coral amulets to wear or a coral rattle to use as a teething ring, as pieces of Coral were thought to have apotropaic properties that could ward of the evil eye (malocchio). Or in Spain an amulet of 1800 was given to protect for casual dangers.
The Ancient Romans believed that red coral was the hardened blood of Medusa, who died in the sea when Perseus killed her. Coral amulets can be seen in Depictions of Christ child ( Dal Ponte’s Christ Child ) & (Masaccio’s Madonna and Child 1426 ). These beliefs persist today.