Earring

One of a pair of earrings, part of a demi-parure including a brooch. The earring is gold, set with a shell cameo. Cut in fine detail, it depicts a classical female in profile, looking to the left, with an eagle in front of her. The eagle may symbolise dawn or birth, as the matching earring depicts a woman with an owl, representing night or death. The two together may be intended to signify the beginning and the end, but this popular decorative motif may not have carried such a portentous message.
The demi-parure was made by Herman Wehrfritz, a jeweller of Clerkenwell and Holborn. He made the jewels for his wife in the 1860s, and his daughter donated them to the museum. The original case is dated 1867.