Beschreibung:

AN IMPORTANT FRENCH REVIVALIST GOLD NECKLACE AND PENDANT Signed Wièse The lozenge-shaped pendant pierced with tendril ornament and set in a cruciform pattern with four classical cornelian intaglios engraved with the profile head of Silenus with thyrsos, an unidentified wreathed head, possibly Apollo, a philosopher and Hercules, 1st/2nd Century, A.D., the later gem in the centre with unidentified male head, 18th/19th Century , the reverse with gold cameo impressions of these portraits, the reserves of each and the suspension loop with bead and wirework detail, joined to a gold chain with flattened openwork links of lozenge outline, with Hellenistic style lion's mask bolt ring, after 1890, the pendant and separate necklace links signed Wièse, pendant with small lozenge poinçon, necklace 24 in. long, extension links 6 in. long, pendant 3 in. high, in grey fabric case with retailer's name Marc Garland See G. Munn, 'French Crown Jewels under the Second Empire', Connoisseur, December 1978, pp.228-235 Of German extraction, Louis Wièse (1818-1890) became workshop manager to Froment Meurice in 1839, but by 1855 he was exhibiting at the Paris World Exhibition in his own name where he won a Ist Class medal. Both he and his son Louis (1852-1923) produced many revivalist jewels of bold and distinctive character, with inspiration drawn from the Classical, Medieval and Renaissance periods. Cf. The Belle Epoque of French Jewellery 1850-1910 (1990) pp.43-52, 94-109