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Antique French "Milanos" Long Pendant Earrings

$19,500
A French regional design, dating from the first half of the 19th century, these "Milanos" or "Mille Anneaux" pendant earrings are formed of 18K gold. Of hollow form, each earring is designed as a floret top suspending a highly three-dimensional reverse tapering cascade of articulated rings suspending a conforming floral sphere with scrolling foliate elements. Sculpted of light and masterfully worked in sheet gold, with delightful suppleness and flexibility, these arresting earrings are rare and uniquely beautiful.

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  • Product Details
  • Curator's Notes

Item #: ER-19397
Country: France
Circa: First half 19th century
Dimensions: 4" length x 1-1/8" width
Materials: 18 karat gold
Literature: A similar pair of Milanos pendant earrings are pictured in Les Bijoux des Français, Bijoux Régionaux Précieux Témoins de la Vie Rurale Aux 18 et 19 Siécles, by Michael C.W. Fieggen.
 

Conveying glamorous movement and volume, these early pendant earrings are rare survivals of a chic French regional style. The later imitations possess neither the expert manufacture nor the lightness and flexibility of these glamorous and unmistakable originals.
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