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Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Stockholm Volume 23 Acquisitions of Old Jewellery Magnus Olausson, Director of Collections and Research Christopher Landstedt, Project Coordinator Micael Ernstell, Curator, Applied Art and Design Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, © The National Library of Sweden, Stockholm Graphic Design is published with generous support from (Fig. 4, p. 38. Fig. 21, p. 211. Fig. 28, p. 215) BIGG the Friends of the Nationalmuseum. © Alte Nationalgallerie, Berlin (Fig. 2, p. 40) Layout Nationalmuseum collaborates with © Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg Agneta Bervokk Svenska Dagbladet and Grand Hôtel Stockholm. (Fig. 3, p. 41) We would also like to thank FCB Fältman & © Neue Pinakothek, Munich Translation and Language Editing Malmén. (Fig. 5, p. 43) Gabriella Berggren, William Jewson, David Jones © The Morgan Library & Museum, New York and Martin Naylor Cover Illustration (Fig. 4, p. 109. Fig. 32–33, p. 217) Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783–1853), © The Matthiesen Gallery, London Publishing Danish. “Ciociara”– Portrait of a Roman Country Girl, (Fig. 1, p. 108) Ludvig Florén, Magnus Olausson (Editors) and 1816. Oil on canvas, 52 x 46.5 cm. Purchase: Wiros © The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Ingrid Lindell (Publications Manager) Fund. NM 7334. (Fig. 2, p. 122) © Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum is published Publisher (Fig. 3, p. 123) annually and contains articles on the history and Berndt Arell, Director General © Robilant + Voena theory of art relating to the collections of the (Fig. 4, p. 124) Nationalmuseum. Editor © The Swedish National Archives, Stockholm Ludvig Florén and Magnus Olausson (Fig. 3, p. 204) Nationalmuseum © The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. Box 16176 Editorial Committee Photo: Joshua Ferdinand SE–103 24 Stockholm, Sweden Janna Herder, Linda Hinners, Merit Laine, (Fig. 4, p. 205) www.nationalmuseum.se Lena Munther, Magnus Olausson, Martin Olin, © Musée du Louvre, Paris. RMN-Grand Palais/Art © Nationalmuseum, the authors and the owners of Maria Perers and Lidia Westerberg Olofsson Resource, NY the reproduced works (Fig. 5, p. 205) Photographs © Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna ISSN 2001-9238 Nationalmuseum Photographic Studio/ (Fig. 8, p. 207) Linn Ahlgren, Bodil Beckman, Erik Cornelius, © The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Anna Danielsson, Cecilia Heisser, Sofia Persson, Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Per-Åke Persson and Hans Thorwid Program (Fig. 10, p. 208. Fig. 30, p. 216) Picture Editor © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Rikard Nordström (Fig. 11, p. 208) © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Photo Credits (Fig. 18, p. 210. Fig. 23, p. 212. Fig. 31, p. 216) © Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen © Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (Fig. 5, p. 21. Fig. 1, p. 36) (Fig. 24, p. 213. Fig. 26, p. 214) © Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Amsterdam © Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis. (Fig. 2, p. 32) John Herron Fund. © Trustees of the British Museum, London (Fig. 25, p. 213) (Fig. 3, p. 33. Fig. 6, p. 38) © Stockholms auktionsverk © The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (Fig. 8, p. 136) (Fig. 2, p. 36) Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 23, 2016 4 acquisitions/acquisitions of old jewellery Acquisitions of Old Jewellery Magnus Olausson Director of Collections and Research Christopher Landstedt Project Coordinator Micael Ernstell Curator, Applied Art and Design Fig. 1 Unknown Italian, Ring and Case, 1750–1800. Ring: Gold, silver, emerald, ruby, sapphire, two diamonds, 2 x 1.9 x 1.4 cm (h x l x w). Case: Red morocco leather, 3 x 2.9 x 2.2 cm (h x l x w). Purchase: Ulla and Gunnar Trygg Fund. Nationalmuseum, NMK 363A–B/2016. 71 Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 23, 2016 acquisitions/acquisitions of old jewellery Fig. 1 Unknown Italian, Ring, 1750–1800. Gold, silver, emerald, ruby, Fig. 2 Johan von Bilang (1739 or 1740–1803), Ring, signed 1762. Gold, silver, sapphire, two diamonds, 2 x 1.9 x 1.4 cm (h x l x w). Purchase: Ulla and diamonds, ivory, enamel, 1.5 x 1.9 cm (l x w). Purchase: Axel Hirsch Fund. Gunnar Trygg Fund. Nationalmuseum, NMK 363A/2016. Nationalmuseum, NMK 76/2016. For many years, jewellery, and century.1 Moreover, the Museum could able. Jewellery made of paste, i.e. glass, especially old jewellery, was one of the acquire several pieces of diamond-set or paste combined with other materials least-known of the Nationalmuseum’s jewellery from the late 18th century, was not uncommon in the 18th century. special collections. Modern and contem- including an original ring with a scene in Glass was easy to make in any conceivable porary objects, on the other hand, had carved ivory by Johan Jacob von Bilang colour, and glass pieces in different been acquired systematically and exten- (1739–1803) (Fig. 2). A military officer colours and cuts could then be mounted sively. This became apparent when the by profession, he came from a highly in silver. And the quality of the work- Museum produced the exhibition The artistic background. Thus, Bilang even- manship was as skilful as for more precious Jeweller’s Art – Precious Objects from the 17th tually became a noted printmaker and jewellery. A perfect example from last Century to the Present Day at Läckö Castle in miniaturist.2 Contrary to previous claims, year’s acquisitions are the six parade summer 2016. The venture was also part he was also a skilful relief carver, as the buttons for a gentleman, with foil-backed, of the preparations for the major presenta- scene on this ring demonstrates, with its facet-cut paste. The larger pieces of olive- tion of the collections in connection with riders and sailboats against a blue enamel green paste are surrounded by smaller the reopening of the museum premises. background, made in 1762. The medal- pieces of white paste. All are set in silver Therefore, the Nationalmuseum initiated lion is mounted with rose stones in a bezel and gilt silver. The buttons came with a a campaign to try to fill several of the setting on a ring band. Jewellery was rarely case from c. 1820, in which it was delive- omissions that had grown increasingly set with diamonds only at this time, so the red from the company Risler & Carré in apparent in the period leading up to recently acquired ring (NMK 75/2016) Paris (Fig. 3). 1900. with antique-cut openwork brilliants In the same material category are the In the effort to partially remedy this, (diamonds) is very unusual. brooches in the Anjala style, as it is called the Museum was able to acquire two in Sweden (NMK 62–65/2016). They giardinetti, literally “garden rings” or New materials and were probably made in the UK in the “bouquet rings”, named after their simplifications 1760s. Originally, they were earrings of openwork floral or flower-like design with Fashion dictated multicoloured gems cut the type commonly called Queen Anne. small, polychrome gems (Fig. 1). They in different ways. However, the use of less They consist of two paste ovals on top of were made in Italy or the UK in the 18th expensive materials was far from remark- one another surrounded by smaller paste Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 23, 2016 72 acquisitions/acquisitions of old jewellery Fig. 3 Risler & Carré, Button, Part of Set of Six, c. 1820. Silver, gilt silver, white Fig. 4 Unknown, Brooch, c. 1835. Cut steel, metal, 6 x 3 cm (h x w). paste, olive colour paste, 2.4 x 1 cm (diam x d). Purchase: Ulla and Gunnar Purchase Axel Hirsch Fund. Nationalmuseum, NMK 172/2016. Trygg Fund. Nationalmuseum, NMK 366A/2016. stones. In the late 18th century, the diamonds. The collection includes refined methods that had been developed earrings became unfashionable and diadems, hair ornaments, earrings, in the UK in the late 18th century when were remade into brooches. The Swedish brooches, bracelets, shoe buckles and re-smelting pig iron. The new technology name, Anjala brooches, is an expression of belt buckles. They are believed to have made it possible to achieve finer, more historical romanticism, associating them been made in the UK or France, and fluid iron qualities that could be cast into with the aristocratic officers who, in the include a comet brooch of the kind that smaller objects with sharp details. From midst of the war with Russia in 1788, became popular in 1835, when Halley’s the late 18th century, Prussia came to hold formed an insurgence, the Anjala Comet appeared in the sky, (Fig. 4) and a central position in jewellery casting, Conspiracy, against the Swedish king also a belt buckle that was probably made with production located in Gleiwitz and Gustav III. They convened at Anjala manor by Matthew Boulton in Birmingham, with Berlin.3 This jewellery is characterised by in Finland, and declared that the war was plaques from the Wedgewood factory the graphic effects of its delicate cast iron illegal and wanted to start negotiating with (NMK 135/2016). details. A highly unusual work of this kind Empress Catherine II of Russia. Legend Napoleon’s wife, Joséphine, was of was recently acquired for the collection, a has it that their supporters wore this kind aristocratic descent and developed an unique parure (NMK 300 A–E/2016) in of jewellery, in the form of a horizontal exclusive taste for jewellery early in life. cast iron with artfully plaited iron threads figure eight (August 1788). They may have Her jewellery garniture could comprise and mounts in gilt brass. The various parts been worn as cravat pins. some fifteen matching parts, including di- are thought to be the result of a collabora- The acquisitions of jewellery with faux adem and shoe buckles. A contrast to this tion between several extremely specialised materials include a collection (87 items) splendour is the cast iron jewellery from suppliers.4 The set consists of a necklace, consisting of cut steel set in non-precious Berlin.

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