Του Γιώργου Λεκάκη
Η ελληνική λέξις ΕΥΓΕ για την
επιβράβευση (βραβείο > μπράβο) σε μωσαϊκό (< μουσαϊκό) τοποθετημένη σε
χρυσή καρφίτσα από τον Οίκο Castellani, στην Ρώμη, περίπου το 1860!
Το κεντρικό μετάλλιο οριοθετείται
με χάντρες. Προεξοχές σαν κούμπωμα-μεντεσές, που καταλήγουν σε κοίλους κώνους
καλυμμένους με κύκλους από χρυσό σύρμα. Θυμίζουν τον κεραυνό του Διός (βαΐρα).
Άρα, Διόνυσος και Ζευς μαζί, ή εάν θέλετε κωδικά ΕΥΓΕ στον Διόνυσο και τον Δία!
Στην πίσω πλευρά υπάρχει εφαρμοσμένο
το σήμα κατασκευαστού.
Έγινε δωρεά το Βρετανικό
Μουσείο από τους Anne Hull Grundy και τον καθ. John Hull Grundy (1978-1981) αρ. HG.403 και εκτίθεται στην προθήκη G47/dc8.
ΠΗΓΗ: Tait «Seven Thousand Years of Jewellery», 558, 1986. ΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ, 7.5.1987.
ΑΛΛΕΣ ΠΗΓΕΣ:
«Although there is no obvious archaeological prototype for this piece,
the design may have been suggested by a type of Byzantine bracelet of the sixth
and seventh centuries, usually in carved openwork gold, constructed of a heavy
hoop with central hinged medallion, the heads of the hinge-pins frequently in
the form of decorated spheres or pine-cones. The most closely related examples
of this type of bracelet are later nineteenth- or twentieth-century finds;
there does not seem to be a traceable example which would have been known to
the Castellani family in the mid-nineteenth century. Nevertheless, the idea of
a bracelet with large elements separated by vertical hinge-pins with decorated
heads was current among Roman jewellers of the mid-nineteenth century - see,
for example, 913, set with cameos by Saulini in an 'archaeological-style'
setting which may derive from an antique source.
Like most Castellani designs which were not produced to special
commission, this brooch is not unique. A brooch with an exactly similar mosaic
inscription and vine wreath, but flanked by two 'hinge-pins' with acorn-shaped
terminals, from the collection of Alfredo Castellani (son of Augusto), was sold
by the Rome auction house of P & P. Santamaria, after Alfredo's death, 15
December 1930 (lot 178).
The use of gold cloisons for the mosaic is a recurrent feature of the
Castellani workshop. The technique was also practised by other Roman workshops
producing mosaic jewellery (see 966), but rarely to such a high standard. The
technique is almost certainly intended to imitate cloisonné enamel. An example
of the direct substitution of cloisonne mosaic for cloisonné enamel is to be
found in the copy by Castellani in the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome,
of a gold brooch in the Campana collection (now in the Musée de Cluny, Paris,
illustrated in Hughes 1972, p. 189) with a winged beast in cloisonné enamel.
The Castellani copy reproduces the same design and colours in mosaic instead of
enamel. The Castellani workshop rarely produced examples of cloisonné enamel,
relying far more heavily on their excellent mosaicists (see also 985).
Unfortunately, few of the specialist workmen are named in the surviving
records. Augusto Castellani, however, noted their deaths in his diary, but in
only one case is the name of a mosaicist indicated. This was Luigi Podio, who
died in 1888 and is described as head of the mosaic studio from 1851 (see
Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, s.v. Castellani, p. 601).
The collection of jewellery made by the Castellani firm in the Museo di
Villa Giulia, Rome, demonstrates the firm's frequent use of Latin and Greek
inscriptions with some thirty to forty different examples. A number are
religious, of Early Christian or Byzantine derivation (see 984), several are
good luck wishes or amatory mottoes such as UBI AMOR IBI ANIMA (where my love
is, there is my soul) on a bracelet designed by Augusto Castellani and
illustrated in Fig. 65 with 955. In view of the political affiliations of the
family, surprisingly few seem to be imbued with any specifically patriotic
significance: NON RELINQUAM is perhaps one of them. The inspiration for many of
these inscriptions seems to have come from Michelangelo Caetani, Duke of
Sermoneta (1804-82), whose patronage of the Castellani firm brought them
clients among the Roman nobility. Caetani's drawings and sketchbooks in the
Palazzo Caetani archive in Rome abound in designs for jewellery incorporating
inscriptions. Several were clearly carried out and the jewels exist in the
Museo di Villa Giulia, including one of the few examples of literary
derivation: LATET ANGUIS IN HERBA (the snake hides in the grass) from Virgil's
‘Eclogues’ 3, line 93, for which both design and brooch survive, and ADES O
HYMENAE HYMEN (come hither, oh marriage of marriages < ΥΜΕΝΑΙΟΣ) from Catullus's poem 62.
See also 922, a cameo portrait of Dante (adopted as a symbol of the
Risorgimento by the Castellani firm) with an inscription from the ‘Inferno’.
Unfortunately EYΓE is not among the Caetani
designs.
Many such inscribed pieces may have been made for English visitors keen
to show off their knowledge of Latin and Greek. The young lady satirised by
Punch in 1859 wears a bulla w'ith AEI (Greek, 'ΓΙΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ / for ever'; see Introduction to this chapter [Gere
et al 1984, pp.140-2] and Fig. 63, Plates, p. 240). Apart from this cartoon,
depictions of inscribed 'archaeological-style' jewellery in portraits are rare.
The portrait of Caroline Norton by William Etty, of c. 1840-45, depicting an
'archaeological-style' brooch inscribed SALVE (Latin, 'hail'), thus provides
important evidence of the wearing of such pieces (see Introduction to this
chapter and Fig. 61, Plates, p. 238). The Castellani firm produced a brooch of
similar design bearing the same motto in Greek XAIPE (sold Christie's, Geneva,
15 November 1972, lot 392) (Judy Rudoe).
ΠΗΓES:
- Gere et al «Κατάλογος Hull Grundy Gift», αρ.952, 1984.
- Rudoe J. «Jewellery at the Great Exhibition» στο «The Legacy of the Great Exhibition», Prince Albert Studies 20, Bayreuth 2002, σελ. 69-82. εικ. 2.11.
«The [Castellani] ledgers indicate that they made numerous other jewels with letters, almost all for stock. Some of these texts were executed in raised gold letters, almost always Roman capitals on a gold ground and often set within a Roman tabula; others were created in elegant two-colour micromosaic, the letters outlined in gold and silver wires. Like any other form of Victorian jewellery, there was a message for every occasion, but the use of Latin and Greek gave them an extra twist. Knowledge of the classical authors was taken for granted and travellers to Italy frequently undertook extra preparation, so the Castellani could assume that these texts would be understood. […] Queen Victoria received a gift of a ‘Gold Brooch composed of a gold plate with “Salve” in gold letters, surmounted by an owl and with coral beads’ on 23 April, 1857: see Victoria and Albert, Art and Love (ed. Jonathan Marsden, 2010 p. 459)».
ΠΗΓΗ: C. Gere & J. Rudoe, «Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World», Caption: «Periodo Moderno: gold and micromosaic brooch with inscription, made in the Castellani workshops [in] Rome», Βρετανικό Μουσείο, Λονδίνο, 2010, εικ. 400 σελ. 411.
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