{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O169859"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O169859/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JJ6744/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JJ6744/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JJ6744","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6747","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6745","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6746","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O169859/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O169859","accessionNumber":"53-1868","objectType":"Chain","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Venetian goldsmiths had specialised since the Middle Ages in making luxury goods of the highest quality.  One of their best known products was the catena manin, or Venetian chain, as it was universally known outside Italy.  This was an extremely fine gold chain, with small compact square links which interlocked tightly with each other to form a very strong, supple chain.  In Venice it was particularly favoured by the bourgeois and lower classes, who would pass it down in their families as an heirloom.  At the mother's death, it was traditional to divide her chain up among her daughters, so that long lengths of chain rarely survive intact.  Outside Italy, it was renowned throughout Europe, to such an extent that the name is still often used today as an alternative name for box chains.\r\n\r\nThis example was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. It was described at the time as a special fabrication of Venice.","physicalDescription":"Length of very fine Venetian gold chain. Originally 37 strings, which have been linked end to end by twists of wire or thread to form a continuous loop. There are now ten identifiable strings, of varying and inconsistent lengths.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold chain","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Traditional jewellery (Europe)","id":"THES270343"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2016JJ6744","2016JJ6747","2016JJ6745","2016JJ6746"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"021","id":"THES404416"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chain","id":"AAT14625"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Venice","id":"x29237"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1800-1867","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1867-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"7.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"1.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"393.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"2.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"19","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"3.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"137.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"4.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"136.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"5.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"234.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"6.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"24","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"7.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"235.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"8.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"369","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"9.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"290.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"10.","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"1848.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Length of very fine Venetian gold chain, Venice (Italy), 1800-1867.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 3"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["53-1868"],"accessionNumberNum":"53","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1868,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-08","recordCreationDate":"2008-10-17","availableToBook":true}}