Topaz and Diamond Demi-Parure

Luis de Figueiredo da Guerra, Exposição de arte ornamental do districto de Vianna em agosto e setembro de 1896, Portugal, 1898, pg.15 for reference to this piece, number 166.

The Exposição de Arte Ornamental do Distrito de Viana do Castelo, was held from 17 August to 27 September 1896 and was one of the most important exhibitions of decorative arts in late nineteenth-century Portugal. Staged in the building now occupied by the Central Services of the Viana do Castelo Polytechnic Institute, the exhibition brought together an extensive array of objects, including jewellery, furniture, and textiles reflecting the breadth of material culture being collected and documented at the time.

The exhibition coincided with a period in which the figure of the collector assumed a rising cultural significance in Portugal and wider Europe. From the late eighteenth century onwards, increased wealth within the middle class of society, the rise of education, and a growing interest in history and travel meant objects began to amass together, often fueled by a mix of genuine curiosity, intellectual curiosity, and a competitive desire to possess the rare and the beautiful.

A formal catalogue was produced two years later, offering descriptive notes on each object exhibited and serving as an important documentary record of the region’s artistic production. This demi-parure features on page 15, as number 166 within this catalogue, and is identifiable in an image from the exhibition.