An 18K gold necklace with super cute locket. Enamel with a finely painted heavenly angel surrounded by a frame of pearls.
Made and signed by Gustaf Dahlgren in Malmö, Sweden 1870. A firm still operating today.
Victorian jewelry is filled with meaning and symbolism. What do we have here, is it a guardian angel ensuring safe travel, angelic guidance, or perhaps a mourning piece in remembrance of a loved one? Whether to keep a loved one close to the heart or remember those who had passed on. A lock of hair, a picture, or a written message would be / could be kept in a locket’s “secret” compartment. In this case I am leaning towards it being a mourning piece due to the black enamel and angel motif. It is impossible not to be Intrigued.
Cherub heads surrounded by wings symbolize incorporeality, literally, as they have no body. The angelic head then reaches a higher spiritual and intellectual significance.
Pendant measures: 17 x 22 mm.
Chain marked PW.
Chain length 46 cm.
Total weight 9.6 g.
The pendant has been lovingly used and has a few dents and signs of wear only making it more charming in our opinion.
