Theatrical jewellery, earrings

Earrings made of gilt metal with suspended medallions with Arabic style motifs and crescent moons. Adelina Patti wore them in the role of the gipsy heroine in Campana's 'Esmeralda'.
They match other items of jewellery in this collection: A23255/4, A23255/12, A23255/16, A23255/35, A23255/38, A23255/38b, A23255/41, A23255/49, A23255/55, A23255/59, A23255/61.
Although the opera critic of ‘The Times’ was unimpressed with the opera itself, he nonetheless praised the star’s performance in June 1870 ‘The singing and acting of Madame Adelina Patti, as the heroine, were…not to be surpassed. That the gypsy costume…suits the accomplished lady to admiration will be readily believed…’
Adelina Patti (1843-1919) was a soprano born into a musical Italian family. She grew up in the Bronx in New York City. In 1861, aged 18, Patti performed to great acclaim at Covent Garden in ‘La sonnambula’ and appeared there in every season until 1884. She also sang worldwide, especially in Europe. The highest earning singer of her era, Patti married three times. One of the characters in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ refers to ‘Patti singing divinely’, and Patti’s portrait was painted by Winterhalter, among others.