Victorian Japonisme Gold-in-Quartz Fan Pendant

A striking Victorian era pendant, modeled in 14k gold, that takes the form of a ladies fan, laying atop a curved length of bamboo. This partly-closed fan is set with a large and especially fine gold-bearing quartz specimen, that has been inlaid to suggest a fan's painterly decor. Hand-engraved floral details surround the quartz slab, decorating the fan's gold surfaces, and a length of twisted, cord-like wire lays across the fan, tethering it to the pendant's "bamboo" element. A pair of graceful leaves spring from this bamboo— both the bamboo and its leaves are finished with delicate, linear engraved details. We love the carefully-balanced complexity of this pendant, its many figural gestures, and its close but contrasting colors and textures! This poetic old darling belongs to the Aesthetic movement, and it is also solidly Japonisme (an artistic movement which reflected the Influence of Japanese design and culture on the West, in the late 1800s). This wears beautifully on a long weighty chain.

Materials

14k Gold
Gold in quartz

Age

c. 1870

Dimensions

Measures approx