2010 lecture Programme for the Society of Jewellery Historians

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2010 Lecture Programme

Tuesdays at 6:00pm. Members and Guests.

Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly W1J 0BE

2010


26 January	Susan La Niece Status and Style: the Jewellery Collections of the British Museum The British Museum, unlike the V&A, has its jewellery integrated with all the other artefacts of each geographical/cultural area, so it is a daunting task for the jewellery specialist to attempt to see the full range in a single visit. This lecture will aim to give an overview of the world wide collections, from the earliest prehistoric personal ornaments to the recent collections.
23 February	Charles Truman A bad time to buy: The Lehman Collection of "Renaissance" goldsmiths' work The Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, contains about fifty pieces of jewellery and gold-mounted hardstones, predominantly in the Renaissance taste. The collection was formed from the 1930s to the 1950s before a thorough evaluation of this class of object had been undertaken. New research has demonstrated how this lack of knowledge made the period such a minefield for collectors.
27 April	Bet McLeod A closer look at the Chalcis Treasure The Chalcis Treasure was discovered in the 1860s in the town of Chalcis on the island of Euboea, Greece, and comprises over 300 pieces of jewellery and small items of personal adornment. The collection is now divided between the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum. It is thought the Treasure was hidden prior to the 1470 Turkish invasion of the island, then known as Negroponte and one of the most significant trading ports in the Venetian maritime empire. The Treasure contains objects of varying dates, ranging from the 13th to the 15th centuries, and of such different stylistic affinities as the Byzantine Empire and contemporary Western Europe.
25 May	Barbara Armbruster Riches beyond compare: gold jewellery from an ancient Scythian burial in Siberia In 2000-2003 an undisturbed 'royal' burial of a man and woman in the Tuva Republic, Siberia, was excavated by a joint German-Russian research team. Thousands of gold articles decorated in the Scythian animal style, dated to the late 7th century BC, were discovered. This lecture will describe the gold, which is extraordinary not only for its sheer quantity, beauty and workmanship, but also for the variety of techniques employed, and for the different methods used to decorate the clothing of the man and the woman.
22 June	Susan Stronge Jewels for the King of the World - Representations in painting at the Mughal court The emperor Shah Jahan, whose title means ‘King of the World’, ruled from 1628 to 1658. During this time, he commissioned legendary monuments such as the Taj Mahal that may still be seen, but his equally legendary artefacts have disappeared, or have been irrevocably altered. His jewelled throne, known later as the ‘Peacock Throne’ was destroyed, and the Koh-i nur diamond was recut in the West. However, the splendour of the court is apparent from the paintings of his reign. These depict the jewellery and jewelled weapons worn by the emperor, his family and nobles, and the jewelled furnishings of the court, all of which are described in contemporary histories and in the accounts of foreign visitors.