c. 1820s Georgian Maltese Cross

An exquisite c. 1820s English Georgian maltese cross pendant, the pattée arms made from polished translucent white chalcedony, the center set with a square faceted emerald with a halo of pearls, the vertices embellished with radiating gold filigree. The fastening frame is crafted from four-colored 15k gold chased into the form of giardinetti-like flower baskets. The charming multi-hued gold was developed by the French around 1750, called ‘à quatre couleurs’ (of four colors), and refers to yellow, pink, whitish, and green gold, achieved by alloying gold with varying formulas of silver and copper (with some small amounts of cadmium for ‘green’). The pendant reverse bears a sentimental glass compartment with a woven lock of hair. A very similar chalcedony, emerald, and four-colored gold maltese cross is in the British Museum collection (accession no. 1978,1002.1188). According to the museum’s curatorial notes, a related chalcedony cross was brought into the British Museum for opinion in 1979; it bore a dated inscription: ‘Lewin and Fanny to Elizabeth 25th Nov 1829’. It can be surmised that pendants of this design are sentimental in nature, and were likely made during the latter half of the 1820s decade. While cross pendants made throughout the 18th century are latin crosses in shape, the maltese cross briefly dominated cross pendant designs between 1800-30. The British fashion magazine, ‘La Belle Assemblée’, took frequent note of maltese cross jewelry being worn throughout this period; for instance, the Lady Mayoress of London was noted in 1809 to have worn a dress of white crepe and a maltese cross to the anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s Birthday. Long associated with the Knights Hospitaller, a Catholic military order ruling and headquartered in Malta since 1530, the Maltese cross has long been linked to the island-state. Its popularity in England throughout the early 19th century can be explained by the Napoleonic wars. Eyeing its strategic position in the central Mediterranean, Napoleon invaded Malta in 1798, ousting the Knights Hospitaller. However, native Maltese discontentment led to an uprising against French occupation. The British, seeking to contain Napoleon, aided the Maltese insurgents with a naval blockade. After French surrendered in 1800, Malta became a British protectorate, initiating a new era of British rule. The popularity of Maltese crosses in England during this period can thus be understood as a manifestation of patriotic fervor and popular support for the Maltese struggle against Napoleonic France.
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