Antique Georgian boat earrings. Gold, enamel, pearls. Made in Sicily, Italy, 18th century - early 19th century.
Measurements:
Weight is 6.1 grams. Approximate length from top of hoop to bottom of lowest fringe is 1 3/4 inches (4.5cm).
Top of dog to bottom of 'boat' is 5/8 inch (1.5 cm).
Description :
Rare ship earrings with dogs. The boat shape is what gives this type of earring the name Navicella in Sicily and Italy. Large semi-circular gold wire hoops pass through ear lobe and connect to semi-circular, boat-shaped half hoops with a gold, sculpted dog perched in the center of each ship and a trio of pearl drops below.
Front and back of earrings are almost identical except for the dog and the mound on which he stands.
Boat shape on front and back of the earrings with polychrome enamel. Enamel in black, white, yellow, some red tones and blue. Two shades of blue - royal blue and a lighter, turquoise. Enamel is set within repousse raised gold scrolling foliage with flowers in the center.
Fringes of seed pearls and gold add length and movement to the earrings. They are connected by small loops and swing freely as the wearer moves. The two side fringes are composed of tiny seed pearls, while the central fring has a larger pear-shaped pearl. Pearls are believed to be natural, but not tested.
Simple catch at the front - the wires were typically made to be threaded through the lobe from back to front.
We have shown a collection of similar 18th century earrings from the museum at the Castle at Castelbuono, in Sicily. Apologies for the blurry quality of the 'photos, which are taken through the windows, with poor lighting.
While these earrings are very rare, they are highly wearable almost 250 years after they were made. Their condition is amazing considering their age.
Beautifully made, fun and sophisticated all at once.
Marks and Metal:
There is a line of minute marks on the wires, that are too tiny to be legible and too obscure to be known to us. Gold was electronically tested. The results are a classic example of the heterogenous purity of gold to be found in antique, hand-crafted jewelry, when gold from various objects was melted and re-used. Electronic testing shows that earrings run the gamut from 10-18k depending on where they are tested. In addition, accuracy is compromised due to the enamel that adorns most of the higher-purity metal. It is typical of antique jewelry to find different purities of gold in the same item.
Condition:
Extremely good condition with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
Boat earrings from the 18th century were known as navicella (translation of ships), which is not surprising as the Sicilians were occupied with fishing and boats at the time. Ship earrings were also made by other ancient seafaring nations since the Bronze Age.
Dogs are widely recognized as symbols of loyalty, faithfulness, companionship, protection, and unconditional love. They are also often associated with domesticity and can represent courage, selflessness, and even good fortune.
Navicella earrings are so rare that we usually only find them in museum collections. This is a particularly lovely pair because of its design, color, dogs, quality of workmanship, condition and overall great look, as wearable today as they were 200 years ago. They are a physical link between the woman who owned and wore them then, through countless generations to us and hopefully, down through the future years and generations. Truly historical items.
