Let's Explore Monogram jewelry!
Today we will look at a Renaissance jewelry trend that we see across many historical portraits and engravings: The Monogram Jewel.
We often associate monograms and initial jewelry with contemporary bling. However, initials have been HOT since the renaissance. (Monograms are much older and were used as royal signatures in ancient Greece!) So let's return to the renaissance and check out some monogram jewelry. Before we start, you'll need to know pearls were a thing, big table-cut gems were a thing, enamel was a thing, international trade was a thing, status was a thing, and gold was a thing. Hashtag. Tudor. Vibes.
I will touch on two types of monogram jewelry: the secular and the sacred, both of which are signs of power and influence. Renaissance nobles were expected to present themselves and dress in reflection of their standing in society. Jewelry and ornament in the Renaissance period were a clue into one's social status. Adornments were significant objects in portraiture, often created to display and enforce positions and allegiances or to celebrate and endorse specific marriage alliances.
A Rebirth
Renaissance translates to "rebirth," which makes a lot of sense when we think about what happened during this time. The renaissance takes place over a few hundred years and fills the gap between medieval times and "modern" living. We will generalize a bit here and look at some Tudor jewels today. Still, it's essential to understand that the Renaissance period is full of cultural and regional nuances and differences. It started in Italy and "crawled" its way to England. The renaissance is so nuanced that it is broken into sections, but we won't go that deep today.
Access to Information = Trends are born.
The 15th century saw the invention and use of the printing press, which allowed for the travel of information; we also have new important trade routes and geological interests, which will allowed for the importing and exporting of precious materials on a larger scale than ever before. When we look at European Renaissance jewels from countries like Germany, Spain, and France, we notice a lot of striking similarities between the jewels. The printing press was a catalyst for the birth of trends on a larger scale. Printed reproductions of engravings could be shared between goldsmiths and copied.
The Chequers Ring
Above, we see the famous Chequers Ring. This ring is one of the few surviving pieces of jewelry from Queen Elizabeth I. Here we see a Diamond set letter E overlapping a blue enamel R, E(Elizabeth), and R(egina). The Chequers ring opens to reveal a double portrait miniature of Queen Elizabeth I and another portrait most presumed to be her mother, Anne Boleyn. Anne was executed when Elizabeth was two years old.
The ring features sheet gold wrapped around a mother-of-pearl base, finished with bright rubies. On the reverse, we see an enameled phoenix, a symbol with which the queen was often associated. We can see another example of her with the phoenix emblem in the famous Pheonix portrait by Nicholas Hilliard. (Remember that name, Nicholas Hilliard, we aren't done talking about him)
The Lyte Jewel
1. This shiny treasure is known as the Lyte Jewel. (1610ish) The bejeweled monogram locket features a large gem set initial "IR" (Iacobus Rex, Latin). This jewel symbolized James’s rule as King of Great Britain. This locket was presented by King James to Thomas Lyte in 1610 as a response to an illuminated pedigree that had been gifted to King James. (The pedigree is like a fancy, illustrated family tree) This historical monogram locket is set with twenty-five table-cut diamonds and four rose cuts. We can see the detail in the enamel and open metal work on the front of this locket.
1. The Lyte jewel locket contains a portrait of James VI and I of Scotland and England (reigned 1603-25), painted by Nicholas Hilliard. Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) was appointed painter and engraver to Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England. Notice the rich red and blue enamels on the reverse of the locket's face. No surface was left undecorated. Like many renaissance pendants, the back of this jewel is also enameled. (read more about the Lyte Jewel here)
3. In example 3, we see another style of initial pendants featuring table-cut gems. These are from around the same period as the Lyte jewel (1600 -1610). This pendant features the initials FR in diamonds and rubies. The enamel is worn, but you can see where it remains. The pendant reads: VIVIT POST FVNERA VIRTVS (Virtue outlives death) *insert shrug*
Sacred Bejeweled Initials
Now let's talk about religious monograms. Whether you are religious or not, these historical jewels are fascinating! This monogram, "IHS," is a symbol for the name of Jesus. In the portrait above, we see Jane Seymour, queen of England (for a short time) and the third wife of King Henry VIII. She is painted by Hans Holbein, the younger. We can see that she is wearing a religious monogram pendant. The two pendants on the right are similar examples in the V&A museum collection.
"IHS pendants were very popular in the 2nd half of the 15th century and the 16th century but were still worn during the 17th c. as can be seen on portraits of the time. This may be due to the prophylactic powers attributed to the Holy Name and the stones. The IHS jewels were the religious counterparts of the secular jeweled monograms." -Victoria & Albert Museum.
While discussing this portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, it's a good time to point out some of his important jewelry design work. The relationship between artists and goldsmiths during the renaissance was close. Many artists, including Botticelli, studied in goldsmith shops early in their careers. Hans Holbein's portrait work features many intricate jewels, and we can see his intimate understanding of jewelry in his paintings.
To the left is a design by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532-1543, found in a "Jewelry Book" containing nine pendant designs. Notice the cruciform pattern, table-cut gems, and scrolling enamel work.
These IHS pendants take many forms, but they are important because they identify the wearer as a religious, prudent member of the court. Jewels like these signified devotion to religion and are a loud beacon of social status, religious preference, and wealth. The IHS pendant in the book of Duchess Anna is significantly more figural than the table-cut diamond examples we see in the portraits and V&A museum examples. Notice the back of the pendant is intricately enameled. This was very common for Renaissance jewelry. To the left, we see another IHS pendant design in blackwork printing. This shows that the piece would have likely been executed in enamel. You can read more about the connection between Blackwork design and Goldsmithing HERE.
In short, monograms have been around for a long time, and some of the most elaborate and exciting examples come right out of the renaissance! You can visit the sources below to learn more about the examples shared in this post.
References / Sources
The Lyte Jewel: http://wb.britishmuseum.org/MCN4437#769750001
Duchess Anna's jewelry Book: https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667657