Necklace and Pendant with a Sphinx c. 1890

This necklace and pendant, made by Alfred André, features gold, enamel, pearls, and gemstones. These materials speak to a high level of craft, with each element carefully chosen and integrated. The necklace probably began with a design, followed by the construction of the gold framework. Enameling would have required great precision to achieve the delicate coloring of the Sphinx’s face and wings. Consider the countless hours of meticulous labor represented in the chasing of the gold, the setting of the gemstones, the stringing of the pearls. Such intricate work also suggests a wealthy clientele. Jewelry like this was not simply decorative. It was a potent symbol of status and taste, reflecting the wearer’s position within a stratified social order. Paying attention to materials, making, and context allows us to understand the necklace as more than just a pretty object, but as a cultural artifact embedded in a web of labor, class, and consumption.