Alice Karle Appraisal
Fine & Decorative Art
Etruscan Revival Bracelet
Etruscan Revival Bracelet
Fair Market Value Appraisal
Although unmarked this Etruscan Revival bracelet tests as 14k gold. This style of bracelet is known as a bypass bracelet. While the origin and maker of this Etruscan Revival bracelet are unknown, the craftsmanship is exceptional. The Etruscan Revival style is characterized by applied filigree and beading, granulation of the surface, or other effects such as rope or woven motifs. It was inspired by archeological digs in Italy of Etruscan ruins in the second half of the 19th century, and was especially popular in the 1860s-1870s.
Many pieces were made in Italy and other European countries, but the Etruscan Revival style was also produced in America. The 19th century was characterized by a series of revival movements in the arts, from Gothic to Renaissance, Etruscan Revival, and Egyptian Revival. Eventually the revival movements lost ground with the introduction of the first of the modern styles, represented by the design reform movement embodied in the Aesthetic, and Arts & Crafts periods.
Referred to as the Grand Period, the late 19th century experienced an explosion in jewelry design. The rise of the middle class, accompanied by the beginnings of the suffrage movement and the introduction of women into the work force, provided a new source of purchasing power for jewelry.
The Italian jeweler Fortunato Pio Castellani, is credited with the rediscovery of the Etruscan gold working technique of granulation. Fortunato Pio Castellani went on to produce amazing replicas of the ancient jewelry excavated from the Greek and Italian ruins. His son, Pio Castellani, continued making jewelry in his style. Castellani’s influence spread throughout Europe, and the Etruscan Revival style was adopted by Fontenay in France, John Brogden and Robert Phillips in London, and Carlo Giuliano who worked in London, but was originally from Naples.