Archaeological-Revival hardstone bracelet, 1870s

During the 19th century we see a wave of interest in designs of the ancient classical world and this enthusiasm continued well into the 1880s. The silhouettes of these jewels are easily recognizable as being influenced by the Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian world and this period saw the nearing completion of the Suez Canal, and archeologist Auguste Mariette’s papers published to detail his excavations in the Nile valley. Both events acted as a springboard for a curiosity in all things Egyptian, providing jewellers with a rich source of inspiration. It is in this piece that we see pharaonic motifs such as scarabs used in combination with plaques of Roman inspiration.