Jewelry
Japan, Asia
1850-1865
Silver; Copper; Gold; Shibuichi
1967.0619
Object Number1967.0619 |
Brooch (Pin)
Jewelry
Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont
Japan, Asia
1850-1865
Du Pont family history of ownership
Silver; Copper; Gold; Shibuichi
0.93 (L) , 0.5 (W)
2.38 (L) , 1.27 (W)
Two small metallurgically complex Japanese ornaments are mounted side by side on a newer backplate to form a chrysanthemum and quatrefoil brooch once owned by Sophie Madeleine Du Pont. Her husband, Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont, either acquired the gold and shibuichi (copper-silver alloy) ornaments during his travels in 1858 or in 1860 as a gift from representatives from Japan. This example of modifying small imported items into personal jewelry is a sign of the heightened appreciation for Japanese metalwork and visual effects in ornamentation in the United States.
[Article] Quimby, Maureen O'Brien & Fernald, Jean Woollens. 08/00/1986 A Matter of Taste and Elegance: Admiral Samuel Francis du Pont and the Decorative Arts. Winterthur Portfolio. 21 (2/3): 103-132.
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