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In Metropolitan Jewelry, a beautiful book which examines jewelry in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sophie McConnell writes: "One of the widespread fashions of the early sixteenth century was the wearing of large, heavy chains. In England Henry VIII gave them as presents to ambassadors and as rewards to men who had rendered a service to the crown. In Germany and Flanders, however, they were mostly worn by women".
In this painting by Luger Tom Ring the Younger (German, 1522-84):
McConnell explains that the mother and daughter (to the right of Jesus) are dressed piously yet fashionably, each wearing a large, and undoubtedly heavy, gold chain. The daughter (far right) wears not only the long chain but a jeweled pendant suspended from another more ornate open-link chain around her throat.
 In Hans Brosamer's dour portrait "Katharina Merian" (painted in Germany, mid-sixteenth century), the subject wears a necklace whose gold chain is made of flat circular links, so simple that the necklace almost looks contemporary. Of course, the pendant is pure elaborate Renaissance.
 As for Henry VIII, he was often depicted wearing both a jeweled collar that spans his shoulders, as well as chain suspending a jeweled pendant, as in this painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. |
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