c. 1850 Napoleon III Gold Bird Nest Pendant

A sentimental c. 1850s French Napoleon III circular pendant, decorated with a robin bird perched by a nest cradled with leaves and flowers, all against a smooth concave ground etched with subtle foliate sprays. The dramatic high-relief rendering of the decorations—with the nest wrought by finely woven wirework, and both the bird and garland crafted in textured “colored” gold—gives the pendant a highly sculptural quality. Per French tradition, the pendant is entirely made in solid 18k gold of various shades between yellow and rose.

Although later emulated by English and American jewelers, the bird’s nest design, utilizing pearls as “eggs”, appears to have originated in France. According to “French Jewelry of the Nineteenth Century” by Henri Vever, the nest of eggs design emerged during the 1830s and remained popular for over 20 years; variations on the design included birds defending their nest against snakes or lizards, and roosting hens. These images are sentimental in nature, symbolizing maternal vigilance and affection.

The detailed, realistic rendering of the bird and flora is influenced by and reflective of 19th c fervor for naturalism and the natural sciences: this was the age of hobbyist botanists (the 6th Duke of Devonshire comes to mind) and horticultural societies; Darwin would publish “On the Origin of Species” in 1859; and various museums devoted exclusively to natural history would open to the public. The technique of using of acid-treated colored gold to craft highly realistic feathered birds and floral sprays can be also seen on a group of small gold brooches, circa 1850, in the British Museum.
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