Brooch
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Overall: 1 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. (4.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum|Jewelry
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Martin, 1938
Accession Number
38.145.232
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century British brooch, measuring just 1 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches, exemplifies the exquisite metalwork of Victorian-era jewelry. Crafted by unknown artist, it belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, acquired through the bequest of Mary Martin in 1938. As a piece of personal adornment, such brooches were cherished accessories, often pinned to dresses, shawls, or collars blending functionality with subtle elegance. In the context of 19th-century, gold jewelry flourished amid the Industrial Revolution's advances in refining and working pre...