Hermann the German?

Unusual Demi-Parure from Jett with Brooch and Earrings, England Around 1860

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Unusual Demi-Parure from Jett with Brooch and Earrings, England Around 1860

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

Arminius (c. 17 BC; † c. 21 AD) was a Cheruscan prince who inflicted one of the most devastating defeats on the Romans in the year 9 AD at the Varus Battle with the destruction of three legions. The post-antique image of the Cheruscan prince is primarily defined by the phrase "liberator of Germania" coined by Tacitus, which is why a depiction of Arminius on a genuinely English piece of jewellery is not surprising. We assume that the bearded and helmeted gentlemen are depictions of Arminius, as the type of depiction of fully bearded warriors - apart from depictions of the Cheruscan prince - is atypical for other historical figures. As a symbol of Germanic freedom, the historical figure probably appears three times in this jewellery set. In highly prominent reliefs, cut in jet, we see the most detailed figure on the large pendant, which probably once began life as a brooch. Smaller versions can be seen on the pair of earrings, the design of which is based on the pendant. The cameos are set in gilded settings, which are embedded in jettied frames. Jett, or black amber, is a special form of fossilized coal that was used as jewellery in prehistoric times due to its unique luster and ease of carving. The Romans were already making jewellery and amulets from jett; from the Middle Ages onwards, it was used to make mourning jewellery and rosaries in Europe. At the end of the 19th century, during the heyday of Jett fashion, Jett was mainly used for jewellery. Due to its special lightness, the material made it possible to produce large pieces, as was the fashion at the time. The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London made carvings made of jett known worldwide, and after Queen Victoria banned the wearing of jewellery (with the exception of jett) at the English court following the death of the Prince Consort in 1861, jett was long regarded as mourning jewellery. The unusual set came to us from Munich - but it was certainly created in England.

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The material used for these pieces of jewelry was a form of fossil wood found in Whitby in the north of England that was easy to carve and sold under the name jett or gagat. Jewelry made of genuine jett was so sought-after due to its beautiful sheen that it was soon imitated by the rubbery vulcanite or black glass known as French jet.