REPRODUCTION JEWELRY

15TH & 16TH CENTURY ROSARIES

ROSARIES

Early accounts tell of how Christian hermits used small stones and knotted cords to keep track of the prayers they chanted as early as AD250. Prayers counters as beads dates back to the 7th century and the rosary itself was popular by the 11th century and by the Late Middle Ages was the most common accessory worn by all ranks of society. It was carried in the hand, worn on a belt, or around the neck.


 The earliest rosaries were straight strings of beads with a tassel at either end. Later the loop form became common, through the straight string never entirely disappeared. The number of beads varied from a simple string of 10 beads to the complete "paternoster" with 150 small beads (for the 150 Psalms) marked off in tens by 15 larger beads.

The beads were made of clay, wood, bone, semi-precious stones, coral, amber, pearls, gold and silver. The large beads became very elaborate sometimes being carved or set with jewels. Often crosses, bells, shells, relics, pilgrim badges and other items of spiritual significance were incorporated into the rosary.

Pictured left is a Palace Gallery Exclusive - A reproduction of the rosary found in the margin of a page from Hours of Catherine of Cleves (c. 1440)




"Cleves" Rosary

The original is an illumination found in the margin of a page from Hours of Catherine of Cleves (c. 1440). It is made of 39 red beads (coral or wood? - both were common materials) and contains pearls, a star, a cross and a relic bag with Catherine's initials (CD) in pearls and has pearled tassels on each end.

Pictured left is a Palace Gallery Original. These metal components are not mass-produced! They are hand-cast brass and available for a limited time in limited quanities!

This reproduction rosary is made of 10mm coral beads and embellished with

Two brass cones for the end tassels

A seven-pointed brass star with 2.5mm freshwater pearls in each point and a slice of amber in the center,

A brass cross with 8mm coral rondelle at the end of each arm and 4mm pearls in the center

A swede cloth relic bag adorned with pearl tassels - Add your initials to this bag as an authentic embellishment!
RR1CC
Handmade Coral "Cleves" Rosary in Velvet Gift Box
Coming Soon!
RR1CP
"Cleves" Pendant in Velvet Gift Box
Coming Soon!
Design


Pictured above is a 16th century rosary bead of carved ivory.
Detroit
Institute of Arts
c. 1500-23
French

Momento Mori - "Remember Death"

Momento Mori jewelry, including rosaries, with its unflinching use of symbols of death and its purposeful message "Remember you must die" was widely worn in Western Europe during the sixteenth century and there is one skull rosary that dates back as early as 1250.

A constant reminder that life is temporary and heaven should be the ultimate goal, its intention was to encourage virtuous living. As a result of this message, there are many extant pieces in museums and private collections of beads and pendants depicting human bodies in various stages of decay. Crossed bones, skulls and complete skeletons are represented. Many have snakes, worms and lizards crawling in and out of the decomposed bodies and skulls. The majority of the examples are made of wood or carved bone/ivory. Some skulls open up to reveal tiny carved scenes of the life of Christ.

The rosaries offered here are one-of-a-kind or limited stock so the pictures will change as stock is depleted and other unique beads or elements are available.

13th Century Skull Rosary



Pictured left is a rosary design inspired by one of the earliest extant skull rosary. The original is in Huy, Belgium and was found in a reliquary coffer. It dates to c. 1250-1300. It is made of bone and has the same number of beads and other components as our reproduction. This rosary consists of ll skull beads alternating with 10 round beads connected with metal links. It terminates with a bone cross shape at one end and a flat carved bead at the other end which attaches to a metal ring. This arrangement may have be one of the rosaries used for alternating The Lord's Prayer with Hail Mary which was started as early as 1200.
RR1DP
13th C. Skull Rosary

15th C. Skull Rosary



A unique bone skull rosary that is hand-strung on silk beading thread. It consists 53 smooth bone beads and paternosters of antiqued carved bone skull beads, 5 of these carved beads separate 50 of the smooth beads into decades. A brown colored tassle with 3 antiphon beads hangs from the center carved bead. It is approximately 23" in circumference and when divided in half it hangs approximately 15" including the tassel.


RR1DJ
15th C. Skull Rosary
$75.00

16th c. Skull Rosary

A reproduction of a Spanish rosary c. 1570-1590. Our design has the same number of beads and components as the original wood and silver rosary. It consists 7 large skull beads and 8 smaller silver beads connected with metal loops. It terminates with a cresent shape with crosses on one end and the other end has a ring for hanging from the belt and to hold on the finger while reciting the prayers.
RR1DB
16th C. Skull Rosary

"Arnolfini" Rosary


The original of this rosary is hanging on the back wall in Jan van Eyck's painting, "The Arnolfini Marriage" (c. 1424) It has green tassels on each end and is believed to be made of amber since it's yellow translucent in color.

This hand-strung reproduction has 28 amber beads and 2 carved black cinnabar beads on silk beading thread with matching tassels at each end. Approximately 15" long, It also has a small loop added so that it can be looped over a finger or hung from a belt or girdle.
RR1A
Amber "Arnolfini" Rosary
$78.00
Beads
NOW AVAILABLE
JET AVES & AMBER PATERNOSTERS
Contact us for details!

"Magdelene" Rosary

The original of this rosary is held in the hand of a gentlemen in Roger van de Weyden's painting, "The Magdalen Reading" (c. 1430). It is believed to be made with bone paternosters and amber aves with black tassels at each end.

These hand-strung reproductions has 16 amber beads separated in eights by a larger paternoster on a silk beading thread with matching paternosters and tassels at each end. Approximately 12" long, they also have a small loop added so that they can be looped over a finger or hung from a belt or girdle.
RR1B
Magdelene" Rosary
$75.00
Beads


Late 15th Century Rosaries

These rosaries represent one of the first styles of circular rosaries. It was popular during the late 15th century to add a tassel at the end. The original is made of coral and bone and found in the Erzbischofliches Diozesan Museum in Cologne - of Flemish/German origin.

The rosaries offered here are one-of-a-kind or limited stock so the pictures will change as stock is depleted and other unique beads or elements are available.

Freshwater Pearl Rosary



Pictured left is a rosary design inspired by the late 15th century rosaries. It is hand-strung on silk beading thread and consists of 53 8mm freshwater pearls separated by 2mm gold beads. 50 of these pearls are divided into decades by gold filled oblong beads. Divided in half, it hangs approximately 18" including the tassel.
RR1DP
Late 15th C. Freshwater Pearl Rosary
$125.00

St. Jerome Rosary



This is a reproduction of a rosary found hanging from a shelf in the background of Ghirlandaio's St. Jerome. It is hand-strung on silk beading thread and consists of 24 shiny black beads a larger black shiny bead and a black tassel. In the reproduction the beads are jet and the larger paternoster is carved jet. It is approximately 13" in circumference and divided in half, it hangs approximately 7" including the tassel.

RR1DJ
St. Jerome Late 15th C. Rosary
$58.00

Late 15th Century Bone Rosary

A unique bone rosary that is hand-strung on silk beading thread. It consists 53 smooth bone beads and your choice paternosters, either intricately carved cut-work bone beads which have a "woven" appearance or antiqued carved bone skull beads, 5 of these carved beads separate 50 of the smooth beads into decades. A brown colored tassle with 3 antiphon beads hangs from the center carved bead. It is approximately 23" in circumference and when divided in half it hangs approximately 15" including the tassel.
(Actual rosary varies slightly from picture.)
RR1DB
Late 15th C. Bone Rosary
$75.00

Late 15th Century - Early 16th Linear Rosaries

Linear rosaries were still in use in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. There are a number of them in paintings that contain 10 or 11 beads and are strung with string or cord. In "St. Jerome in his Study" by Matteo di Giovanni, c.1492, in Harvard University Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, there are 10 large multi-color beads with a loop at one end for hanging on the wall and a tassel on the other end. Two extant early 16th century linear rosaries have wire links, capped beads and a ring on one end for hanging. The one in the State Museum of Prussian Art Treasures - Berlin, Germany has a religious medallion hanging from the other end while the one in the Austrian Museum of Fine Art - Vienna has a cross hanging from the bottom.

Knight's Rosary

The colors and meanings of the five stones in this Knight's rosary are described in the rosary handbook Vnser lieven frauen Psalter (Our Lady's Psalter), published (1492) in Ulm, Germany by Conrad Dinckmut (stone types are my interpretation):

Multicolor stone (brown Jasper) - Manifold sins
Light stone (white agate) - Unpredictable death
Red stone (red coral) - The Last Judgement
Black stone (Black Agate) - Hell
Golden stone (citrine) - The Glory and Joy of the Saints
The Knights Rosary is also available with a tassle instead of a medallion. Please notify us if you are interested in that type of pendant.
RR1G
Knight's Rosary
$55.00
Pendant



Cross

St. Michael

St. George

Standardized 16th Century Rosary

The rosary became standardized in 1573 at the Council of Trent (50 Aves & 5 Paternosters with 3 Antiphon Beads and a Cross).

The rosaries offered here are one-of-a-kind or limited stock so the pictures will change as stock is depleted and other unique beads or elements become available.

Amber & Silver Rosary

This impressive rosary in the standard style is hand-strung on silk beading thread and made of large pressed amber beads. It consists 53 amber beads separated by 2mm silver beads and 5 ornately sculpted sterling silver beads separating 50 of the amber beads into decades. A beautiful ornate sterling silver cross set with a 6 amber cabachons hangs from 3 antiphon beads. It is approximately 28" in circumfrence and divided in half, it hangs approximately 19" including the 2 1/2" cross. Truly Magnificent! DISCONTINUED - 1 IN STOCK
RR1FAL
Large Amber & Silver Rosary
$340.00

Standard Freshwater Pearl Rosary

This is a pearl rosary hand-strung on silk beading thread. It consists of 53 freshwater pearls separated by 2mm gold beads and divided into decades by gold filled filagree beads flattened on 4 sides. Divided in half, it hangs approximately 15" including the 2" gold plated ornate cross.

NOW IN STOCK!
RR1FP
Freshwater Pearls "Standard" Rosary
$120.00 NEW STOCK!

Wood and Bone Rosary - 16th C.

Pictured left is a reproduction, hand-strung on silk beading thread, of a rosary made of wood and bone. It consists 53 small wooden beads (available in either black or red) and 6 carved bone beads, 5 of these carved bone beads separate 50 of the wooden beads into decades. A real ivory cross hangs from 3 antiphon beads. All beads are separated by 2mm gold filled beads. It is approximately 18" in circumfrence and divided in half, it hangs approximately 12" including the tassel.

OUT OF STOCK
RR1FWB
Wood & Bone "Standard" Rosary
$
Beads

Pearl Rosary with Holy Water Vial

Pictured left is a reproduction, hand-strung on silk beading thread, consisting of 53 faux pearls separated by 2mm gold beads and divided into decades by a gold plated intricately sculpted beads. A holy water vial is attached near the cross (empty - with a friction lid so that you can fill it!) Divided in half, it hangs approximately 14" including the 1" gold plated cross set with a faux pearl.

RR1FPV
Rosary w/Holy Water Vial
OUT OF STOCK

Amythest & Silver Rosary

Pictured right is a reproduction, hand-strung on silk beading thread, of a rosary made of amythest beads. It consists 53 amythest beads separated by 2mm gold beads and 5 ornately sculpted sterling silver beads separating 50 of the amythest beads into decades. A intricately matching sterling silver cross set with a amythest hangs from 3 antiphon beads. It is approximately 24" in circumfrence and divided in half, it hangs approximately 15" including the 1 1/2" cross.
RR1FA
Amythest and Silver Rosary
184.00
DISCONTINUED - ONLY 1 IN STOCK

Amber & Gold Rosary

Pictured left is a reproduction of a 16th century rosary, hand-strung on silk beading thread, consisting of 53 small pressed amber beads separated by 2mm gold beads and divided into decades by gold filled melon beads. A cut amber cross hangs from 3 antiphon beads. It is approximately 19" in circumfrence and divided in half, it hangs approximately 12" including the 1 1/4" cross.
RR1FAS
Amber & Gold Rosary
$120.00

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