Where the lance stabs the dragon’s turquoise skin, a ruby shines like a drop of blood. The monster is writhing under the knight’s charger. St George was a popular saint across Europe. His legendary battle made him the very model of chivalry. His slaying of the dragon represented the triumph of good over evil.
This pendant is one of the finest examples of Renaissance jewellery in the Green Vault. The workmanship is magnificent, and the list of materials sounds like a king’s ransom: ten diamonds, six rubies, an emerald, seven pearls, enamel and gold. The individual figures were first modelled with great attention to anatomy, then cast in gold, and finally enamelled. Look at the delicacy of the knight’s limbs, and the elegance of his mount. The horse’s bridle consists of colourful trimming, shallow-cut diamonds and brilliant rubies. The skin of the dragon is turquoise-coloured enamel, offset with yellowish-red warts.
- Location & Dating
- German, around 1590
- Material & Technique
- Gold, enamel, ten diamonds, six rubies, one emerald, seven pearls
- Dimenions
- H 8,2 cm, B 5,1 cm
- Museum
- Grünes Gewölbe
- Inventory number
- VIII 265