I believe this is the first Guliano piece I’ve shown you. For a great bit of background on the Gulianos, please see this fabulous post by Monica McLaughlin on the Hairpin. It’s how I was introduced to the magic of the Guiliao family, too.
This piece is much smaller than the one Monica reviewed on the Hairpin, but it’s still wonderful.
Take that, anyone who’s ever doubted that jewelry is an art form. Look at those tiny, impossibly precise, incredibly perfect details. The gold and enamel openwork border just slays me.
The pendant centers a red enamel oval panel depicting a whimsical neoclassical portrait miniature of a woman and two playful cherubs. Around the portrait is a border of decorative periwinkle blue and deep blue enamel, with a motif of dotted scallops. Around this blue border is a scalloped gold openwork frame fashioned of deep orange enameled petals supported by black enamel triangular vases. Made by Carlo Guiliano, circa 1865.
This necklace was listed in Doyle New York’s October 2012 Important Estate Jewelry sale. All images and info are thanks to Doyle New York.
The pendant is signed for Trabert & Hoeffer, Inc and Mauboussin, while the chain, which was added later, is signed by Cartier. No wonder this thing is gorgeous, with all of those big names working on it.
