c.1890-1900 GIA Natural Saltwater Pearl Dog Pendant

A c. 1890-1900 Neo-Renaissance style figural pendant in the form of a reclining dog, its body enclosing a large 15.8 x 10.78 mm natural saltwater pearl (GIA certified; report 2223840205, natural Pinctada, semi-baroque, no indications of treatment). The 18k gold setting is chased and bloomed to reflect the dog’s furry coat, and is further ornamented with rubies and diamonds. Natural pearls form in the wild without human intervention. Most modern pearls are cultured via artificial bead nucleation and grown in pearl farms. Natural pearls—especially those of larger sizes—are considered rare and valuable due to the difficulty and danger of pearl diving, the time required for pearls to grow in the wild, as well as the limited supply (it’s estimated that 1 in every 10,000 mollusks is pearl-bearing). Most examples of natural pearls today are antiques preserved from the age of natural harvesting.

In form and design, the present pendant can be characterized as Renaissance or Baroque revival: the practice of enclosing irregular baroque pearls in chased figural settings became popular during the late 16th century and persisted in simpler form well into the early 18th century. The charm of these jewels lies in creative adaptation: the jeweler incorporates the idiosyncratic shape of the natural pearl into the design, imagining its unique form as the body basis for various animals or fantastical creatures. For examples, see the pearl curios of Anna Maria de Medici (1667-1743) in the Palazzo Pitti, Art Institute Chicago 1992.499, and the Walter Art Museum 57.618. Chased figural goldwork in a Renaissance-Baroque style enjoyed a revival during the 19th century, popularized by Parisian jewelers c. 1850. Like Renaissance counterparts, late 19th c figural chasing features a sense of textural and formal verisimilitude. The wealthy and aristocratic classes of the 19th century remained passionate outdoorsmen and hunters; jewelry from this era often featured realistic models of various animals of ‘the hunt’, such as foxes, rabbits, dogs, and stags. A group of chased dog-themed jewelry is illustrated on p.411-13, “French Jewellery of the Nineteenth Century” by Henri Vever.
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