Baroque pearls of Palazzo Pitti

Pendant in the shape of a merman or siren with baroque pearl, enamel, and jewels. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

The Treasury of the Grand Dukes—still sometimes referred to as the Museo degli Argenti, or Silver Museum—in Palazzo Pitti includes the many objets d’art commissioned or purchased by the Medici during their centuries as Florence’s preeminent family.

Pitti’s treasury is home to an incredible diversity of curious, experimental, and finely executed objects. Perhaps the most quintessential examples of this small-scale creativity, however, are found in the Medici’s collection of baroque pearls.

Generally speaking, “baroque pearls” are simply pearls of irregular shape. During the Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque periods, such pearls were prized by European jewelers who used them to form the bodies of human, animal, mythological, or grotesque figures.

Information on the Pitti’s collection of pearls was scarce, but most of the pieces were probably made in the late 16th century or 17th century. They may have entered the Medici collection around that time, and seem at least to have been among Anna Maria Luisa de’Medici’s prized possessions in the 18th century.

Neither Josh nor I are certain who took these pictures, so we are both credited in the captions.

Pendant with baroque pearl, jewels, and cloisonné in the shape of a dragon. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Figurine of Swiss soldier in enameled gold, baroque pearl, and gems, 1680 (info credit: Getty Images). Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Pendant in the shape of a lion with baroque pearl, gems, and gold. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Jewel-encrusted baroque pearl in the shape of a rooster holding a caduceus from the Collection of Anna Maria de’Medici (1667–1743) in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Mermaid or siren pendant, Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Dragon figurine. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Pendant of sea-horse with putti rider. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Figurine of man holding vase of flowers (?). Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Pendant of winged mer-person holding a mirror. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Monkey figurine, Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Rabbit pendant. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Deer pendant. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Horse and rider figurine. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz/Joshua Albers.

Small objects from the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti

Giovanni Antonio de’ Rossi, Cameo with Portraits of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Eleonor of Toledo, and Their Children, 1558–62. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Bezoar (?) in rock crystal and silver container. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Small, carved and gilded scent box (?) in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Cameos in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Pier Maria Serbaldi da Pescia, Venus and Cupid, c. 1500. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Pendant of sea-horse with putti rider, baroque pearl and enamel. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Saracchi Workshop (Milan), Vase with Dragon Lid, last quarter of the 16th century (before 1589). The vase was originally hidden in a secret cabinet in the Tribune of the Uffizi, where it remained until 1780–82. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Hans Domes, bowl in lapis lazuli and enameled gold, late 16th century. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Ivory figurines in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Carved dragon (?) in green semi-precious stone. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Jewel and enamel bust in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Jade mask from Teotihuacan, Mexico, 4th–6th centuries CE. The mask originally had inlaid eyes of shell and obsidian, as well as painted teeth and lips. Although originally from Teotihuacan, it was likely part of a hoard of masks taken to Templo Mayor in the Aztec capital of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in the 15th or 16th century. It entered the Medici collection by the time of Prince Leopoldo de’ Medici’s death in 1675. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Florentine rock crystal ewer in the shape of a fish, 16th century. Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Jade object in the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.