A true heirloom and rare find, this highly decorative book chain multiple link chain necklace is a late 1800’s Victorian Aesthetic era movement sweetheart sentimental hand made masterpiece.
The Aesthetic movement was “aimed to escape the ugliness and materialism of the Industrial Age…producing art that was beautiful rather than having a deeper meaning – 'Art for Art's sake’.”
The silver chain necklace further draws joy from the historic influence of Japan on design - coined as Japonisme in the 1870s.
The chain is made up of a repetition of 16 cat eye shaped links - each hand engraved with japonisme style pictorial birds and geometric shapes and patterning.
In historic Japanese culture, the stork symbolism is for longevity, good fortune, and happiness with the swallow symbolising love, loyalty, and devotion.
The necklace opens and closes with a well working antique silver dog clasp fob clasp mechanism.
The chain runs a good length of 43.5cm, with each link measuring 10mm wide.
