Antique Three-Strand Bracelet Made of Mediterranean Coral, c. 1900

“Behold this lovely creation, which I dedicate to you as a gift; Red branches from the depths of the sea provided the material for this string of pearls— the one, jewellery of joyful youth, where mermaids’ songs once rang out, which the diver wrested from the mighty coral tree!” This poem is from the series “Accompanying Poems to Objects from the Goldsmith’s Luxurious Workshop” by Jeanette Bramer, which was published in 1910 in the Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitschrift (DGZ, No. 15, 1910, p. 136). They were intended for jewelers to use in promoting their pieces of jewellery to readers. More than 100 years after their publication, we, too, found the poem so lovely that we would like to include it at the beginning of the description of this coral bracelet. Coral jewellery was already a popular souvenir of a trip to Italy in the 19th century, but it was also offered by local jewelers in Northern Europe as quintessential summer jewellery. The coral was usually processed in Italy and then set locally or strung into necklaces. The coral beads on this bracelet are graduated in size. The beads are slightly flattened near the hole so they can lie close together. Three additional coral beads, cut into flat buttons, adorn the clasp. The bracelet is in very good condition and features a safety chain. It came to us from the collection of a noble family in southern Germany.

Estimate:£329.23

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