Devotional pendant
Unknown Artist
late 16th century
Medium
Cut and polished, reverse-painted, reverse-gilt, and reverse-silvered rock crystal; gold wire; gold; enamel; Assembled.
Dimensions
H. 5.7 cm, W. 4.2 cm, D. .5 cm
Classification
Jewelry, Precious Metals and Precious Stones
Culture
Italian, Lombardy or possibly the Veneto
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1519
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite devotional pendant, crafted in 16th-century Italy—likely from Lombardy or Veneto region—exemplifies the era's masterful jewelry artistry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Robert Lehman Collection, this treasure (5.7 cm high) was designed for personal wear, blending spirituality with opulent display. Its classification as jewelry in precious metals and stones underscores role as both a pious accessory and a status symbol for elite patrons during the late Renaissance. The pendant's ingenuity shines in its complex medium: cut and polished rock crystal, meticulously rever...