VIDEO Great blackamors, dimensions cm 4,5 x 2,5 cm – silver 925 gold plating bicolor with cubic zirconia, ebony heads weight of each earring gr 11.60 – To request informations please click on “submit a request for this product” or send an email to info@webjewels.it all these jewels are exclusive products from our workshop in Venice.
The origins of the blackamoors go back to ancient times, when the Saracen pirates plagued the Dalmatia’s coasts.
During the Hellenistic age in Fiume (Istria) similar golden earrings with black and white enamel decorations were produced, having a talisman function. During the centuries of the Turkish invasions, the populations of the coasts always wore them and gave them to the churches as thanks for the avoided danger. So the amulet came to Venice, not to exorcise sea attacks, but to represent the enslaved Turkish pirate.
In the course of history we find blackamoors in the Carpaccio representations, as a quiet gondolier with turban and feathers, part of a beautiful lagoonal scenography; and also in a famous novel by Hemingway.
The most famous Blackamoor was Othello, the Venetian general against the Turks to safeguard the properties of the Serenissima.
Othello has become so “famous moro” still source of inspiration for the creation of blackamoors jewels
As the dominion of the Serenissima on the Adriatic consolidated, the earring representation disappeared to give its place to different objects – with different meanings – for the representation of the blackamoors.
In our century the originality and phantasy of the Venetian people created an endless variety of blackamoors representations:
bust and tuban have become a space where the best local goldsmith’s techniques are represented, with fretworks, engravings and filigrees.
In recent times the monochromatism often prevailed with pearls, brilliants, emeralds or rubys for an extremely selected clientele like noble and royal families;
even Grace Kelly,Liz Taylor, Diana Vreeland (Vogue editor), Iris Apfel, Coco Chanel,Anita Pointer,owned a blackamoor.
