cm. 24 x 17, pp. 86, brossura, in ottime condizioni.
The history of European nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century jewellery is highly eventful. It reflects the enormous variety of styles which succeeded each other or even coexisted in the period 1820-1920. As jewellery is so closely linked to dress, constantly changing fashions also influenced its development. Furthermore, the history of nineteenth-century jewelry is characterized by the introduction of many new materials and new or improved techniques. This tendency was reinforced by the attempts to create a new style which occurred throughout Europe in the years around 1900, and which resulted in what is now known as Art Nouveau.
The Rijksmuseum’s collection of nineteenth-century jewellery came into existence almost entirely through bequests and gifts. It contains a number of interesting jewels of Dutch origin, mostly produced in Amsterdam, and several foreign pieces. The origins of the collection of Art Nouveau jewelry are quite different. Following the decision in 1968 that the collection of the museum’s Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts should no longer be restricted to objects predating 1850 but should be extended to include more recent works, special emphasis was placed on collecting objects dating from around 1900. Jewelry of that period from both the Netherlands and abroad has been purchased on a fairly regular basis. In contrast to the situation in the nineteenth century, when the craftsmen who produced jewelry were often quite obscure, in many cases being employed by large jewelers’ firms, the designers and goldsmiths who determined the history of Art Nouveau jewelry were well-known artists. The museum’s collection now contains works by the major French and Dutch designers, as well as examples of the industrial production from around 1900.
The collection of European jewelry from the period 1820-1920 to be seen in the Rijksmuseum cannot yet be described as representative. Nevertheless, the selection presented in this publication does provide a fascinating insight into the successive styles and fashions of a century of European cultural history marked by dramatic change.