Foreign Tokens: The Blackamoor Brooch

Figure 1: A diamond, emerald, and gold blackamoor brooch, by Nardi. Courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd.

It’s again interesting to see this cultural cross-dressing of the African in the European imagination. With its jet-black complexion, wide nose, and thick lips, the first brooch’s (Fig. 1) physiognomy looks nothing like an Ottoman. Instead, its features are indistinguishable from Africans who appear in European paintings such as Portrait of a Negro Buttoning His Shirt.

The blackamoor’s facial expression is akin to a jolly servant who’s eager to please and less of a valiant general, craving to conquer. Shakespeare’s Othello can’t be found in this brooch. There’s a spectacular contrast between the enormous emerald embedded in the blackamoor’s body and the passive obedience written on his face. Here, the age-old lexicon of the enslaved African and his European master is visually communicated: acting as a sturdy mantelpiece, the African conspicuously displays and symbolizes the opulence of those who own him.

Figure 2: Moretto with black opal and diamonds, by Nardi. Courtesy of Nardi.

The second blackamoor (Fig 2) has a similar physiognomy, but with clear differences in the visual language. His deep-set eyes peer with determination, and his facial expression beams with masculine dignity. Though the blackamoor wears the earring of the enslaved African, the embedded black opal in his body is an essential piece in the armor of a decorated general. This blackamoor answers to no master.

The two Nardi blackamoors mirror the contradictory Renaissance stereotypes of the black African: as a valiant general worthy of respect or a savage deserving of servitude. Collectors of the Nardi blackamoors include a bevy of wealthy, white women such as Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Hutton, and Queen Paola of Belgium.

Between the 1920s and 1950s, Cartier’s jewels were stylistically influenced by the jewelry traditions of Indian and other foreign cultures. The ubiquitous use of black enamel and colorful gemstones was à la mode. But, the Cartier blackamoors are not benign objects of fanciful stones and superior craftsmanship: they communicate the visual language of race and representation.

Figure 3: A French Art Deco coral, diamond, enamel, and pearl blackamoor clip brooch, by Cartier. Courtesy of Tony Virardi, Macklowe Gallery.

The 1938 Art Deco piece (Fig. 3) incorporates many African elements not seen in other blackamoors. This brooch looks unmistakably African, and it wears a fez, a cylindrical-shaped felt hat originating from Fez, Morocco. The Cartier piece also has a row of gold rings or coils, an accessory that represents beauty in South African Ndebele culture. It’s no surprise that a Parisian firm would design such a jewel given that in general, the French are fanatical about authenticity in non-European cultures. In 1931, the City of Lights hosted the International Colonial Exhibition, a staged human zoo displaying colonized cultures in their “native” dress and “primitive” surroundings.

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