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CHERUBS ON JEWELRY BOXES - By: THE JEWEL BOX BOOK Jewelry boxes manufactured in America during the early 1900’s, are a remembrance of our history and a time during which spiritual expression was conveyed through art.  Cherubs have appeared in works of art from the time of ancient Mesopotamia and remained a common theme in Greek, Byzantine and European paintings and sculpture. Late Christian-inspired art depicted cherubs as plump children with wings, as in Raphael's Sistine Madonna. During the late 1800's and early 1900's when Americans, the English, and French were enjoying an artistic and philosophical Renaissance, cherubs were an important theme that reflected the virtuous ideals of the time, yet also an appreciation of mankind’s place in the joys and glories of the world—a spiritual contrast to the “cold” Industrial Revolution. Cherubs could be found described in literature, portrayed on canvas and in sculpture, and as a design on many decorations in the home. Jewelry boxes, frequently covered with cherubs, hearts and roses, were an expression of the Romantic Movement--conferring the message of love. This was an era when people not only spoke the words "I love you," but an article given as a gift, would confer that sentiment with every incident of use. A gentleman would give his lady fair not just a “present,” but a physical manifestation of his affection spelled out clearly by a symbolic messenger such as Cupid or a Cherub. A jewel box was the perfect gift in the early 1900's for a gentleman to express his admiration for a lady.  Art Nouveau and Victorian angels and cherubs represented winged heavenly beings, signifying the message of love and were an expression of the Romantic Movement on Jewelry boxes 1900-25 Joanne Wiertella is a major collector of antique American jewel boxes. After her first discovery nearly 20 years ago, she developed a passion for collecting them, and later began researching their origins. She has published a book on these lovely American art metal novelties which pictures her collection of 500+ Jewel Boxes. |