Brooch

This is a pearl and gold brooch with 3 floral groupings of pearls in a wide V-shape. The pearls are attached to a gold openwork armature with pins through their centers. A hinged pin clasp at the back is a later alteration, being of a different color gold and newer appearance. This object originally had 7 very large drop-shaped pearls hanging along its lower edge, as evidenced by a 19th century portrait, by well-worn indentations in its box, and by 7 long gold pins still extant but now looped around to the back of the brooch. Designed as a floral spray set with natural pearls of various shapes, accompanied by a handwritten note from the Bavarian Duchess Adelgunde of Modena (1823-1914), stating that this pearl brooch was once in the possession of Empress Maria Theresa sovereign of Austria who ruled for fourty years (1740-1780 C.E.). This brooch is to be seen in a painting of Empress Caroline by Franz Schrotzberg, found in Salzburg Museum, Vienna. This piece signifies the importance of Gulf and Qatari pearls to the global market, and the existing trade connections during the 18th century.