Mention summer jewellery and most of us will conjure up in their minds pieces incorporating shells or corals maybe. Yet there's more than just summer moods behind accessories made with such materials.
In a previous post we looked for example at the power behind a coral amulet, so let's move from that same material - coral - and from art, to discover a different meaning of a specific coral necklace as featured in paintings by Piero della Francesca.
The Madonna of Senigallia (dated between 1470 and 1485) painting for example depicts the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus flanked by two angels. Jesus is holding in one hand a white rose symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary and is wearing a red coral pearl necklace with a coral pendant.
A similar necklace can also be seen on another painting by Piero della Francesca that was probably the inspiration for this one, the Brera Madonna (also known as the Pala di Brera, the Montefeltro Altarpiece or Brera Altarpiece, 1472-1474).
In the Middle Ages coral was used for teething, but coral necklaces of this kind were deemed to be talismans against danger and archaic symbols of protection of children.
In the case of the Holy Child, the red coral alludes to Christ's passion, the Eucharist sacrifice and redemption as it evokes the colour of blood (it may be worth noting that in both these paintings the angels also wear quite beautiful gold or pearl jewellery, but these luminous pieces hint at the celestial splendour of Paradise). Can you think about other paintings that feature striking pieces of jewellery with special meanings and symbolisms?
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