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Gorham Manufacturing Company

Pendant

Maker

Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, 1831-present)

Title

Pendant

Year

1900

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gold, diamond, pearl, glass, enamel

Geography

Place Made: Providence; Place Made: Rhode Island

Dimensions

Pendant: 8.3 x 3.2 cm (3 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Marks: engraved on back: [lion rampant] / [anchor] / 18K / XEX

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

1997.80

Type

Publications

Articles

Jewelry from the Decorative Arts and Design Collection

The American and European jewelry collection at the RISD Museum, part of the Decorative Arts and Design Department, is made up of more than 800 works, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings from the medieval period to present day.

Exhibition History

Paula and Leonard Granoff Galleries
Dec 18, 2015
Recent Acquisitions
Inclusive and Diverse
Feb 18, 2000 – Apr 16, 2000

Label copy

By the end of the 19th century, Gorham is believed to have been the world's largest manufacturer of silverware. The company also produced jewelry, which today is far more rare than its silver. Because RISD has extensive holdings of Gorham silver but not a single example of Gorham jewelry, it made perfect sense to acquire this pendant at auction in New York. The combination of materials and flowing lines recalls designs by René Lalique and other French designers working in the Art Nouveau style, the height of fashion at the turn of the century.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, 1831-present)
Pendant, 1900
Gold, pearls, frosted green glass, diamonds, enamel and rubies
Pendant: 8.3 x 3.2 cm (3 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches)
Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund 1997.80

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