Parure Set of Brooch and Earrings

PeriodCirca 1850 - 1880

Place MadePossibly Italy

MediumWhite and brown lava, gold

Dimensions2 × 1.63 in. (5.1 × 4.1 cm)

ClassificationsJewelry

Credit LineGift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, 1941

Object number1613

DescriptionA woman's parure set, consisting of a large oval brooch and a pair of earrings for pierced ears. Both brooch and earrings feature a carved white lava relief head of a woman in the classical style, with flowing hair and draperies around her shoulders. The lava ovals are set into soft reddish gold frames. The brooch includes a hinged bar pin backing with an open safety loop catch, along with a small wire loop for conversion to a necklace. The earrings hang from long gold wire French style hooks, with small circular brown lava beads on gold pins as dangles.
Curatorial RemarksCarved lava jewlery came into popularity with the discovery in the mid 1700s of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Lava chunks, in colors ranging from off white to dark brown or black, were carved into a variety of souvenier pieces including jewelry. This parure set, consisting of a large oval brooch and a pair of earrings, may have been made in Italy between about 1850 and 1870. The set could also have been made by one of the many fine jewelers located in and around Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia, or New York City as well.NotesAccording to donor records, this parure set came from "Bow Hill" outside of Trenton, New Jersey. Barnt De Klyn, the original owner of "Bow Hill" built his mansion outside of Trenton in 1790 and later rented it to Joseph Bonaparte, older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, as a home for his mistress Annette Savage. The Association has a number of items from the Barricklo-Fouche family who lived at Bow Hill during the later 19th century. This jewelry may have been owned by Elizabeth "Lissie" Barricklo Fouche (1854-1938). Lissie was born in 1854 in New Jersey and married Dr. William W. Fouche in 1878.

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