Jewels in Spain

Jewels in Spain 1500 – 1800

THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Jewels in Spain 1500 – 1800

PRISCILLA E. MULLER

CENTER FOR SPAIN IN AMERICA CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS EUROPA HISPÁNICA

Distributed by Ediciones El Viso, Madrid www.edicioneselviso.com

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The Sixteenth Century: Renaissance and Mannerism

FIG. 55

Book-shaped pendant, XVI century, enameled gold with gems. Madrid, Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas [CE19964]

It was not until his seventeenth year that

three years. Though this promise was

Charles I of Spain (1500–1558), son of

kept, Charles V throughout his life was

Juana la Loca and Philip the Handsome,

indefatigable in his travels, wars and

saw the Peninsula he was destined to rule.

involvements abroad. France, the Turks,

Born in Ghent and educated in Flanders,

Barbary pirates of north Africa, Protes-

his advisers and appointees to govern-

tants and the Papacy itself (in the Sack

mental positions were Flemings, brought

of Rome, 1527) were engaged as Charles

with him to Spain. Discontent and oppo-

strained through more than forty cam-

sition arose immediately and it was not

paigns to make Catholic Spain and his

without some difficulty that Charles estab-

dominions in Flanders, Germany and

lished himself as king. Confirmation of

Italy the ruling force of sixteenth-centu-

his election as Emperor of Germany (as

ry Europe. The Golden Age that Erasmus

Charles V) in June 1519, following the

saw forthcoming with Charles’s accep-

death of his grandfather Maximilian,

tance of the crown of Spain146 instead

brought further trepidation on the part

brought four decades of war.

of Spaniards. Charles, on leaving Barce-

International entanglements persist-

lona early in 1520 for his October coro-

ed to perplex Charles’s son and successor

nation in Aix-la-Chapelle, met Spanish

in Spain and Flanders, the somber Phi-

resistance to his expanded role with a

lip II (1527-1598). Wars with France, the

promise to return to rule Spain within

Papacy and the Italian States were chronic.

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cintura, its enameled links of open cartouche, leaf, fruit and flower design also studded with diamonds, had leaves cut “a lo Romano,” or in the Italian Renaissance manner.228 At the Medici court, however, a Milanese jeweler in 1588 made a necklace of crystal and enameled gold beads in the Spanish fashion (“à la spagniola”).229 Though Anne of Austria, successor to Isabel of Valois as Philip’s queen, continued to wear the type of garganta preferred by Isabel and her daughter, the ensemble was apparently no longer the primary consideration, for her girdle and its broncha of jeweled twisted gold knots were distinct from accompanying jewels (fig. 125). By 1605, expansion of the elaborate lace ruff worn at the neck all but eliminated the garganta and Margarita of Austria could no longer consistently suspend her principal joyel from her necklace as had her predecessors but found it necessary to fasten it directly to the jeweled, embroidered fabric of her dress (figs. 68, 70).

Of existing necklaces related to those in Spain, links of one in Baltimore approximate those of a late sixteenth-century hoard excavated in Seville in 1934 (figs. 75 and 77.)230 The curving outlines are known also in less intrinsically valuable necklaces of about 1600 in enameled gold and pearls (fig. 76), or in the cloisonné enameled links of an early seventeenth-century necklace (fig. 78).

FIG. 75

Necklace, late XVI century, enameled gold with gems. Baltimore, Walters Art Museum [44.508] FIG. 76

Necklace, ca. 1600, enameled gold with pearls.

New York, Hispanic Society of America [R3532]

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FIG. 77

Gold links with pearls, XVI century. Seville, Museo Arqueológico [REP 04857] FIG. 78

Necklace with Saint Ferdinand, sapphire seal, crucifix, XVI–XVII centuries, enameled gold with pendent pearls. New York, Hispanic Society of America

Though bracelets might appear to have been infrequent, period portraits instead presenting wrist-fitting ruffs terminating long sleeves, many were documented, their design repeating that of the pieces with which they were seen.

Many in the Juana la Loca inventory were, like her necklaces, heirloom jewels in the style of the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. As had been those of Isabella, most were listed in multiples of two (from two to ten) and would have decorated each wrist or forearm as in a later portrait of Queen Margarita (fig. 68). A solitary gold axorca of light, movable units enclosing the Mysteries of the Passion seems to have been exceptional.231 A preference for initial letters, enameled devices, or mottos and diamonds was evident among bracelets given to Isabella of Portugal by Charles V in 1526; the many distributed in 1551 after Isabella’s death included manillas and ajorcas with pearls, rubies, amber and coral, and thirteen manillas de memoria, possibly inscribed bracelets in the manner of in memoriam rings.232 In the 1522 Portuguese inventory of the infanta Beatriz were bracelet pairs made in India, distinctive for quantities of rubies, emeralds and diamonds; from the Orient may also have come the porcelana mounted in six manillas of enameled gold.233 For Isabel of Valois, Arnao Vergel provided fittings for eight coral THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM

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95

96

97

FIG. 95

Pendant design, 1545, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 136. Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 96

Ioan Dalmau, pendant design, 1550, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 154.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 97

Pendant design, 1551, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 162. Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 98

Serafí Pux, pendant design, 1580, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 261.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 99

Pere Juan Pochi, ewer design, 1551, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 161.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona 98

99

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FIG. 134

FIG. 136

Joan Quintana, pendant design, 1586, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 277.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona

Siren pendant, XVI century, enameled gold with emeralds, diamonds and pendent pearl.

London, The British Museum [WB.154]

FIG. 135

Jaume Pares, pendant design, 1591, brown ink over black chalk on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 313. Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona

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162

163

164

FIG. 162

Narçis Amat, pendant design by 1605, black chalk and brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 373. Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 163

Lion pendant, late XVI century, pearl with enameled gold, diamond and ruby. Baltimore, Walters Art Museum [57.618] FIG. 164

Lion pendant, late XVI century, enameled gold with pendent pearls. Saragossa, Cabildo Metropolitano de Zaragoza

period and one drawn in Barcelona in 1605

Sobriety, temperance and patience

(figs. 162–64) offer a basically natural

were associated with the passant, or walk-

interpretation reminiscent of the lion illus-

ing camel of heraldry. These qualities

trated in 1585 by the silversmith Juan de

were emphasized in emblematic applica-

Arfe, whose concern was in bringing to

tions, as in two personal empresas illus-

his contemporaries natural animal and

trated in Giovio in 1561. The camel of

bird forms as opposed to the mannered

Virgilio Ursino’s empresa implored cau-

renditions of his colleagues.348

tion: “I am like the camel . . . that on

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of the prince and a coat of arras (escudo) of

mentary raised corners encroaching upon

Charles V.374 Outside Spain, Pompeo Leo-

the stone as seen in a ring excavated in

ni in Rome in 1585 hesitated between a

Seville (fig. 185) or to a setting similar to

large, high quality sapphire and a jacinth

that drawn in Barcelona in 1579 (fig. 184).

on which to engrave the Spanish king’s

Time-piece rings, a sixteenth-century

device.375 Among rings in the Philip II

innovation attractive to Mannerist design-

inventory were a number with cameos

ers, were sought for Spain, Lope de Soria

and semi-precious stones on which were

reporting to Charles V from Venice in 1538

worked figures from antiquity, mytho-

of a “sortija del relox.”380 Listed in the 1598

logical beings or emblematic devices.376

Philip II inventory was a watch-ring of

The international exchange of rings was

black-enameled gold with a figure which

constant. From Milan, Genoa and Ant-

lifted to reveal a sun-clock, its “letters,”

werp, Philip II at mid-century selected

or hours, indicated on silver.381 Bequeathed

diamond rings to be sent as gifts to indi-

by Philip to the Escorial monastery for

viduals in Germany, Italy or Spain.377

use during pontifical services was a large

In 1537, the dying Alessandro de’ Medi-

gold ring with faceted table-cut emerald

ci had upon his finger a diamond given

set amid strapwork and grotesques (car-

him by Charles V; Mary Tudor, as Philip

tones y figuras al brutescos) enameled

II’s queen, gifted him with diamond rings,

blue, white and red.382 Nor were prophy-

one a favorite given as a pledge of her

lactic purposes ignored, the white stone

love.378 Gold settings described in 1562

of one of Philip’s rings noted as useful

were enlivened by engraved cartouches

for stanching the flow of blood.383 The

in enamels or niello (cf. fig. 184), and were

demand for finger rings of gold on all so-

of a ryzadillo, or ruffle-like design enam-

cial levels produced the inevitable result.

eled à la moresque (cf. fig. 183); a hex-

Several Sevillian merchants during the

agonal ruby and a pointed diamond were

sixties and seventies offered rings of

noted as held by four garras, or claws,379

inferior quality gold as “de punzón,” or

suggesting a prong setting not common-

of legal gold content; these were repeat-

ly associated with sixteenth-century rings

edly confiscated and destroyed by guild

though perhaps referring to four rudi-

examiners.384

FIG. 183

Joan Agusti Vilar, ring design, 1609, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 383.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 184

Jaume Prats, ring design, 1579, brown ink on paper, Llibres de Passanties, fol. 258.

Barcelona, Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona FIG. 185

Ring, XVI century, gold with emerald. Seville, Museo Arqueológico [REP 04856]

FIG. 186

Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (copy after Sofonisba Anguisciola), Isabel of Valois, ca. 1604–8, oil on canvas. Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado [P–1030]

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FIG. 187

Marten’s head, XVI century, enameled gold with gems. Baltimore, Walters Art Museum [57.1982]

The sixteenth century with its love

Valois carried a jeweled marten with chain

ian in origin,391 exhibits swags of grapes

of fine metals and stones worked with

(fig. 186) and from among her effects a

on its forehead recalling the described

preciosity could not forgo drawing upon

marten’s skin, its head holding forty-one

“frutas” and thus may illustrate the doc-

the jeweler’s talents for a miscellany of

diamonds and small ruby eyes, was giv-

umented marten’s head, perhaps one of

389

A

objects. Rodrigo Reynalte produced a gold

en to the infanta Catalina in 1585.

fan for the Alba family in 1562,385 jeweled

jeweled dull (mate) gold marten’s head

and enameled gold toothpicks hardly

with four matching claws contained in a

The sixteenth century thus saw

ordinary in appearance were considered

brass-latched, partly gilded small box lined

unparalleled wealth, fantasy and crafts-

and furred

with white and crimson satin was more

manship in the fabrication of jewels.

animals, alive and domesticated or deceased

fully described when listed following

Unfortunately so much known to have

and become apparel, bore ornaments of

Philip II’s death.390 “Frutas” ornamented

been created no longer remains and only

considerable intrinsic worth. Marten skins

the head, its white, vermilion and other

from documentation, written and visual,

were fitted with jeweled gold trappings

colored enamels studded with fifteen table

and from a relatively few surviving piec-

which replaced with sparkle and fantasy

emeralds of assorted sizes and cuts, six

es, can the breadth of creativity of gold-

the furry creature’s head and paws. Phil-

rubies, twenty-eight smaller diamonds

smiths in Spain during a century of vital

ip II while prince in Brussels in 1550 had

and twelve pearl units. Mounted in its

activity and development be realized.

five martens with gold heads and paws,

neck were six additional emeralds and

387

precious stones embellishing the heads,

in each claw was an emerald, a ruby and

and there was inventoried in Spain in 1559

a diamond. The mouth held a ring with

a marten’s head of black-enameled ham-

small gold fastening link (assilla). One

mered gold with three diamonds, three

surviving jeweled marten’s head (fig. 187),

386

as and listed among jewels,

388

rubies and six large pearls.

Isabel of

the five in Philip’s possession in Brussels a half-century earlier.

thought probably Venetian or North Ital-

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