Victorian Shakespeare?

Victorian gilt metal brooch, 1880.

This is a piece from my personal collection and I obtained it from an online auction that were selling various pieces from an estate clearance. 

Estate clearances inevitably pull me in, the thought of looking at and potentially owning little pieces of someone else's life is just too tempting, igniting an emotional response in me that can often be overwhelming.

Upon first glancing at the figure depicted on this delicate, slightly tarnished, circle it immediately made me think of The Bard and my suspicious were somewhat confirmed when I read the label that they had used for this dainty little pin; 'Shakespeare?' 

Admittedly this was the only piece in the auction that didn't have an extortionate reserve or starting bid attached to it, and the only authentication it came with was that it is from the Victorian era, specifically 1880. So it may or may not be Shakespeare's likeness depicted here, but the piece spoke to me and I had to own it.

Brief History of Victorian Brooches and Pins

The Victorian Era spanned from 1837 to 1901 and during this time there were vast developments in culture and technology, and jewellery was just one of the ways which marked these changes; a newly emerging Middle Class sparked new demands, one of which being for jewellery. 

This era is usually divided into subsections:

The Romantic Period, 1837-1861

The Grand Period, 1861-1880

The Aesthetic Period, 1880-1901

Brooches and pins were actually a Romantic Period favourite and cameo [high relief depictions, as can be seen with the Shakespeare pin here] and intaglio [the reverse of high relief] were used on both brooches and rings, and usually carved from shell, coral or stone. Sometimes these figures were surrounded by small diamonds, but just as frequently stood alone either in framed gold or set into a mount. 

Revivalism was a popular trend that impacted upon Victorian jewellery during the Grand Period. Here cameos became Romanesque in nature. As well as this trends from the Renaissance were also copied and applied to necklaces, earrings and brooches.

Gold dominated the Victorian era. The Industrial Revolution [1840] brought with it new technologies and techniques such as stamping and electroplating, which allowed for gold to be used in all sorts of new ways and for a more affordable price.

Interestingly because of this these gold pieces were rarely marked, so for contemporary collectors they can't always be sure if they are in fact getting real gold.

During the Aesthetic Period jewellery became a lot simpler in design and smaller in scale [as can be seen with this pin]. 

Question: Do you think this is Shakespeare's likeness? If so, why?

Make sure you comment below with your answers!

- Victoria McAfee