Beautiful and romantic golden vintage cufflinks with enamel

Flowers are part of our daily life. For virtually every event we have assigned a special flower. Flowers for love, church, marriage, etc. In the 16th century inn's use to have a branch or flower stalk as signboard which later often changed only into the name of a specific tree or flower. Many times one finds flower gardens in mythological sceneries. The allegoric use of flowers is uncountable: attributes for the springtime, the youth, the sunrise, the rhetoric, the virtue etc. Lots of countries carry a flower as national symbol: Hungary had the tulip and Scotland the thistle, etc.

Many pieces of jewelry in the Victorian and Art Nouveau period were adorned with flower symbolism to bring a message, a message of love in this case. These cufflinks are skilfully adorned with an ivy motive. Since time immemorial, ivy has been the symbol for reciprocated love. Sometimes (not in this case) the not-so-obvious expressive pictural message is heightened by an added text in French: 'Je m'attache ou je meurs' (I hold on or I die), referring to the manner ivy grows. A romantic pair of cufflinks indeed.

Antique jewelry object group: cufflinks
Country of origin: Although it does not carry any legible control marks we believe it is of Belgian origin.
Style: late-Victorian early Art Nouveau - (styles overview)
Style specifics: The style of this jewel announces the coming of the Art-Nouveau style.
Period: ca. 1900 (events and facts in 1900)
Source of inspiration: Mother Nature, see also flower symbolism
Theme: ivy - click here for an explanation on the ivy
Material: 18K yellow gold - (precious metals)
Technique: Enamelling is an old and widely-adopted technology. The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to pottery and stone objects. The ancient Greeks, Celts, Russians, and Chinese also used enameling processes on metal objects. Enamel is the colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. According to some sources, the word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating, such as a champlevé or a cloisonné (different techniques).
Hallmarks: Illegible remains. - (general hallmarks info)
Condition: excellent condition - (our condition scale)
Dimensions: each side is 2.13 cm (0.84 inch) x 1.24 cm (0.49 inch)
Weight: 11.90 gram (7.65 dwt)

ReferenceNº: 08328-4167

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