{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1745867"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1745867/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NN7892/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NN7892/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NN7892","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NN7880","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NN7890","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NN7891","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NN8308","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NR0491","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NR0492","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1745867","accessionNumber":"M.54:1,2-2023","objectType":"Earring","titles":[{"title":"African Queen","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Elizabeth Gage has been an important figure in British jewellery since the 1970s, admired for her distinctive interpretations of a wide range of historical and cultural styles. Her jewellery is both glamorous and subtle, and remains highly wearable despite its bold scale.\r\n\r\nBorn in 1937, Elizabeth studied at Chelsea School of Art and the Sir John Cass College in the 1960s, and in 1968 designed a collection for Cartier, New York. In 1972 she won the De Beers International Diamond Award. Her business expanded rapidly during the 1980s, and by 1989 when she was awarded the Queen's Award for Export Achievement she employed twenty-five full-time staff. In 2008 Elizabeth was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Retail Jeweller, and in the 2017 Birthday Honours she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to business.\r\n\r\nThe earrings, in Elizabeth Gage’s ‘African Queen’ style, date from 1970. She designed them to go with the brooch of 1967 and they were made in her workshop. The carved black steatite seals were acquired by Elizabeth in Crete where she worked with a Greek jeweller over two summers in the mid-1960s. A third piece, a necklace was added in 1988 to complete what became a favourite set of jewellery which remained in her personal collection until she presented it to the Museum in 2023. Celebrated for her sympathetic interpretations of diverse historical periods, Elizabeth and has written of the influence of early Greek jewellery on her work. In this matching set of brooch, earrings and necklace she has re-invented the archaeological style in the modern idiom.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Each earring consists of an oval black steatite seal, domed and carved in intaglio, one with a rearing horse the other with a bee. Along the lower edge of each earring are three ribbed cones of gold each with a grey baroque pearl; at the top of each is a tiny grey oval pearl. The seals are open-set in simple collets circled with a twisted gold wire and the earrings have hinged clip fittings at the back.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Elizabeth Gage","id":"A35588"},"association":{"text":"designed by","id":"x40048"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Elizabeth Gage","id":"AUTH392444"},"association":{"text":"made by","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"Designed by Elizabeth Gage and made in her workshop"}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"steatite","id":"AAT11668"},{"text":"pearls","id":"AAT11827"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold, steatite carved in intaglio, and grey baroque pearls","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2023NN7892","2023NN7880","2023NN7890","2023NN7891","2023NN8308","2023NR0491","2023NR0492"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"37","shelf":"D","box":"2"},{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"37","shelf":"D","box":"2"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Pair of earrings","id":""}],[{"text":"Pair of earrings","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1970","earliest":"1970-01-01","latest":"1970-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Elizabeth Gage","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.5","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"13","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Dimensions vary slightly between the earrings "}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed E R GAGE on the reverse of each earring"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pair of earrings, black steatite carved in intaglio, grey pearls and gold, designed by Elizabeth Gage; England, 1970.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.54:1-2023","M.54:2-2023"],"accessionNumberNum":"54","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2023,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-27","recordCreationDate":"2023-03-06","availableToBook":false}}