Antique Art Nouveau Gold Necklace with Mistletoe Motive

Antique jewellery object group: necklace

Condition: very good condition

Country of origin: France

Style: Art Nouveau – Art Nouveau (French for New Style) is an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art – especially the decorative arts – that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905).

The name “Art Nouveau” is French for “new art”. It is also known as Jugendstil, German for “youth style”, named after the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularised the style, and in Holland as “Sla-olie-stijl”, Dutch for “salad oil style” after an advertisement poster for this product that was made in that style.

A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly stylized, flowing curvilinear forms. Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life. Although Art Nouveau fell out of favour with the arrival of 20th-century modernist styles, it is seen today as an important bridge between the historicism of Neoclassicism and modernism.

Style specifics: Art Nouveau – Although Art Nouveau took on distinctly localised tendencies as its geographic spread increase some general characteristics are indicative of the form. A description published in Pan magazine of Hermann Obrist’s wall-hanging Cyclamen (1894) described it as “sudden violent curves generated by the crack of a whip”, which became well known during the early spread of Art Nouveau.

Subsequently, not only did the work itself become better known as The Whiplash, but the term “whiplash” is frequently applied to the characteristic curves employed by Art Nouveau artists. Such decorative “whiplash” motifs, formed by dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines in a syncopated rhythm, are found throughout the architecture, painting, sculpture, and other forms of Art Nouveau design.(from: Wikipedia)

Period: ca. 1900

Source of inspiration: Mother Nature

Theme: Mistletoe – From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac. Norsemen offer us a beautiful symbolic myth about mistletoe. The story goes that Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, Goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the God of the summer sun. Since his mother was so afraid something would happen to Balder, she made a pact with air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant on earth. She forgot however one plant, the mistletoe, which Balder’s only enemy, Loki, God of evil, soon realized. He had Balder shot dead by an arrow tip with a mistletoe attached to it. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back to life. He was finally brought back to life by Frigga, the goddess, and his mother. It is said the tears she shed for her son turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe plant and in her joy Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with a decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss, a token of love.

Material: 18ct yellow gold

Precious stones: Eight lustrous real orient seed pearls

Birthstones: Pearl is the birthstone (or month stone) for June.

Hallmarks: The French control mark for 18ct gold representing an eagle’s head that was in use in France from about 1838.

Dimensions: height of pendant 7,60 cm (2,99 inch), total length necklace 42,00 cm (16,54 inch)

Weight: 7,00 gram (4,50 dwt)