On my recent tour of London, I once again visited the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). It's a favorite, housing over 5,000 years of decorative arts, with an incredible range from Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. The decorative arts include ceramics, glass, textiles, costume, ironwork, silver service, jewelty, furniture, sculpture, religious altar and devotional pieces, paintings, prints, photography. Basically, all the things we surround ourselves with, utilitiarian as well as fashionable.
One gallery I always visit is the William and Judith Bollinger Gallery, which displays over 3,000 jewels in a chronological walk through a dimly-lit, but glittering room. I always notice something I missed before. This time, some extremely interesting cast iron jewelry, delicate, black, lace-like in effect. The description stated these pieces were German, produced in the late 1700's to early 1800's.
Back home, I decided to research them, and found they are called Fer de Berlin, or "Berlin Iron". Cast in sand, then lacquered black to prevent rust, they must have been quite the modern thing at the time; like wearing a plastic bracelet today vs. a gold or silver, jewel-encrusted, traditional piece.
Primarily manufactured in Germany, France, Austria and Czechoslovakia, these pieces were a patriotic symbol for the Prussian War effort against Napoleon I. Women exchanged their fine jewelry for the iron pieces to help fund military troops. Some pieces even are inscribed with "I gave gold for iron!" (Ich gab Gold fur Eisen). Geiss and Schott are two of the leading producers of these works.
Last time I was at the V&A, I purchased some adorable safety pins from their museum store. I liked the box they came in, which is why I noticed them in the first place. Then, I noticed they had a "bulb" shape, something unusual, and so I bought them thinking I would make something of them. I eventually strung them together and made a necklace. NOW, I find it reminds me of Fer de Berlin! And, I am happy I can say that I have traded gold for iron! Though, if only I had a worthy cause!
On my recent tour of London, I once again visited the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). It's a favorite, housing over 5,000 years of decorative arts, with an incredible range from Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. The decorative arts include ceramics, glass, textiles, costume, ironwork, silver service, jewelty, furniture, sculpture, religious altar and devotional pieces, paintings, prints, photography. Basically, all the things we surround ourselves with, utilitiarian as well as fashionable. 
Back home, I decided to research them, and found they are called Fer de Berlin, or "Berlin Iron". Cast in sand, then lacquered black to prevent rust, they must have been quite the modern thing at the time; like wearing a plastic bracelet today vs. a gold or silver, jewel-encrusted, traditional piece.
Last time I was at the V&A, I purchased some adorable safety pins from their museum store. I liked the box they came in, which is why I noticed them in the first place. Then, I noticed they had a "bulb" shape, something unusual, and so I bought them thinking I would make something of them. I eventually strung them together and made a necklace. NOW, I find it reminds me of Fer de Berlin! And, I am happy I can say that I have traded gold for iron! Though, if only I had a worthy cause!
That's so interesting! I want some now haha
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