Pendant Design with a Domed Church and Urn Above Axe-Shaped Ornaments 1530 - 1573

Jan Collaert I made this pendant design with a domed church during the late 16th century. Religious pendants were common during this time, but this piece distinguishes itself with its fine detail and complex structure. Collaert was from Antwerp, a city whose wealth came from trade and its sophisticated financial institutions. The cultural life of Antwerp was intimately bound up with the Catholic Church, whose artistic patronage flourished in the region. This imagery would have been very appealing to the elite members of Antwerp society. The artist’s inclusion of axe-shaped ornaments is a curious visual choice, perhaps alluding to the civic power of local government. The study of the artist’s other prints and drawings, alongside archival research into the history of Antwerp’s jewelry trade, would likely reveal much about the social and political meanings of this intriguing work.