{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O63500"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O63500/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O63500","accessionNumber":"S.253-1979","objectType":"Jewellery","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Jewel worn by Anna Pavlova (1882-1931). Blue glass oval cabochon jewel surrounded by two rows of tiny diamante; the backing gilt metal covered in brown netting with a centrally placed small rings on the edge to attach it to a costume.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Glass","id":"AAT10797"},{"text":"Metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"Paste","id":"AAT10803"},{"text":"Netting (material)","id":"AAT249438"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Blue glass and French paste, set in gold metal backed with netting","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES309082"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Jewellery","id":""}],[{"text":"ornament","id":"AAT56258"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 20th century","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1950-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"42","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"including rings","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"55","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"including rings","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"92","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The jewel was worn by ballerina Anna Pavlova, perhaps the best known name in ballet in the first half of the 20th century, who, between 1908 and her death in 1931, took classical ballet around the world and had much to do with the huge popularity that it achieved in the later 20th century.  \r\nThe jewel was obviously moved from costume to costume and was most likely that worn on the front of Pavlova's costume for the solo The Swan (popularly known as The Dying Swan); although many dancers since Pavlova have worn a red jewel (implying that the swan has been shot) the single centre jewel in Sir John Lavery's painting of Pavlova in her most famous role is blue.  The headdress worn by Pavlova as the Swan in the hand coloured photograph on the front of Dandré's book \"Anna Pavlova\" (Cassell, London,1932) also has a central blue oval jewel. In an interview with Sue Gainsford [Birds on the wing, The Independent Extra, 23 May 2007 p13]  Marguerite Porter, who learned the role from Ninette de Valois, confirmed that the jewel should be blue.  The creature is drowning, swept along by currents and tides, pulled, pushed, carried against its will, doing its best to stay above the water but dragged down towards it ... there is no flapping about, or collapsing. It is very pure, very unsentimental ...'  \r\n \r\nThe jewel came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Jewel worn by Anna Pavlova (1882-1931) as part of her stage costumes, glass, diamante, gold metal backed with netting, first quarter 20th century.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Pavlova, Anna","id":"N1325"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.253-1979"],"accessionNumberNum":"253","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1979,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-24","recordCreationDate":"2001-11-29","availableToBook":true}}