Original scientific paper

Jewelry in the Zadar Area in Historical Sources from the 13th to the End of the 16th Century

Ivna Anzulović

Abstract

In chronological order, the article gives an account of jewelry in the Zadar area according to written sources from the 13th to the end of the 16th century on the basis of the inventory of possessions, the record of dowries and last wills. The article includes Zadar noble families but also burgher folks as well as the population of the broader Zadar area to the extent that this is enabled by available sources. The jewelry that is describes includes rings, ear-rings, necklaces, embroidered needles and gloves. During this period not all kinds of jewelry was equally represented. Rings were most frequent, locks of hair rare while there is no data for bracelets during the Middle Ages; ear-rings are more frequent in the 14th and the first half of the 15th century and from the second part of the 16th century while it is only from the 17th century that they will experience their broadest expansion. Some forms of jewelry from that time have been preserved up to our own days in traditional jewelry such as ear-rings with three elongated appendages. The jewelry that is to be found in these inventories was made out of the most precious material, primarily out of gold, then gilt silver and more rarely out of silver. Naturally the noble folk and the wealthier burghers generally had gold jewelry but amongst the population at large also fine metals predominated so that copper and bronze were quite rare. Of the techniques of decorating jewelry we find filigree, enamel and niellotechnique. During the Middle Ages we find the very frequent appearance of pearls alongside sapphire and ruby. From the 16th century we more frequently find corals, then the semiprecious stone carneol. In the second half of the 16th century we find for the first time “moretti” and “peružini”. At that time there appeared imitations of precious stones, glass beads and false crystal. This development and this system corresponds with the state of things within the broader European area. This article supplements the already known archeological findings within the Croatian area.

Keywords

jewelry; Zadar; historical sources; 13th–16th C

Hrčak ID:

11885

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/11885

Publication date:

5.9.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 7.238 *