Victorian Luckenbooth Brooch by Jaques and Marcus

A c. 1882-1892 signed Luckenbooth brooch by Jaques & Marcus, set with 16 old mine cut diamonds weighing approx. 1.96 ctw (the four largest about 0.4 ct each), the 14k rose gold body monochrome enameled in a chic black. Jaques & Marcus was a well-regarded late 19th c American jewelry firm based in Manhattan. Pieces signed ‘Jaques & Marcus’ can be dated within a precise time frame due to the firm having been formed in 1882 and partner George B. Jaques retiring in 1892; the company continued on as ‘Marcus & Co’ after 1892. Jaques & Marcus designs from the c.1882-92 period are remarkably well-documented: eight volumes of the firm’s original hand-drawn design books are preserved in the Dartmouth University Library. The design drawing for the present brooch can be for instance found in volume two of the Dartmouth J&M design books (design no. 3517, Rauner Manuscript MS-674). An insect brooch by Jacques & Marcus is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession 2001.246).

In shape and form, the present brooch takes inspiration from heart-shaped Medieval ring brooches (see Victoria & Albert Museum 86-1899) and Scottish luckenbooth, which began to take on a crowned heart shape sometime during the 17th c (see V&A M.45-1975, Scottish National Museum H.NGA 304 and H.1991.2). Post-1860 Victorian jewelry was often historicist in sensibility, and historical revivalism is what explains the non-functional and purely decorative brooch ‘pin’ bisecting the front of the present brooch. Originally used to fasten cloaks and tunics at the neck, Medieval ring brooches have thickly distinctive forward-facing pins; they were worn by pulling up the fabric through the brooch center and then spearing said fabric with the pin. Likewise, traditional Scottish ring brooches functioned as kilt pins. Surviving examples with amatory inscriptions show that both heart-shaped Medieval ring brooches and Scottish crowned-heart luckenbooth were given as love tokens or betrothal gifts.
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