Museum-Exhibited Emerald Bow Pendant, Circa 1650 – Baroque Elegance in Gold

A striking survivor of the Baroque era, this Portuguese or Spanish bow pendant from circa 1650 shimmers with 41 table-cut emeralds in closed settings. Richly ornamented, its sculptural ribbon form evokes the drama and movement of 17th-century court fashion. From 20 March 2023 until 31 March 2025, it was exhibited at DIVA, Antwerp’s jewellery museum—an acknowledgement of its cultural and artistic significance. The fleur-de-lis shaped hallmark, subtle wear, and finely chased gold details whisper of centuries past. To wear this pendant is to step into history—not as a bystander, but as its next custodian.

Antique jewelry object group
bow pendant

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
Most likely Portuguese (but could be Spanish too)

Style
Baroque - Baroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century in Europe. It is most often defined as "the dominant style of art in Europe between the Mannerist and Rococo eras, a style characterized by dynamic movement, overt emotion and self-confident rhetoric".
See also: Baroque
more info on styles

Style specifics
Baroque is a style in art and decoration that developed shortly before 1600 and remained current in Europe until the emergence of the Rococo style c.1730. It was started in Italy, and spread to Germany, Austria, the Low Countries, and Spain and Portugal, with only a somewhat severely classical version being popular in France under Louis XIV. The style was a development of the Renaissance style and is characterized by lively, curved, and exuberant forms, by vigorous movement, and by rich ornament, based on classical sources, being symmetrical as distinguished from the asymmetry of the following Rococo style.

Period
ca. 1650
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
a fabric bow

Theme
bow

Material
18K yellow gold (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Precious stones
41 emeralds

Birthstones
Emerald is the birthstone (or month stone) for May.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks remains of a hallmark that resembles a fleur de lis (lily flower)
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
4,30 cm (1,69 inch) x 4,00 cm (1,57 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
12,10 gram (7,78 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
22033-0106

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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