bavarikon4UDescription
A majestic lion, with one paw raised and its pointed white teeth bared, strides on the gem’s delicate C-curved scrollwork pedestal. The body is covered with light brown "enamel en ronde bosse", encrusted enamel which is particularly complicated to produce, and the claws are enamelled black. The body and legs are set with eight flat diamonds, which are adapted to the shape of the body. As an additional highlight, a large flat diamond underlaid with blue foil was placed in the centre of the pedestal. Its ornate, enamelled box setting is a jewel in itself. Three attached pearls from Bavarian rivers complete the picture.
Such elaborately enamelled pendants, often set with precious stones, were indispensable accessories among the nobility during the Renaissance and were worn by both men and women. Representations of noble animals were particularly popular, sometimes – like this lion – referring to the wearer’s status. The Palatine Lion as the oldest component of the Palatine coat of arms stands here as a symbol for the Palatine dignity of the owner, Katharina Sophia, née Duchess of Liegnitz-Brieg (1561-1608). She was buried as the wife of Friedrich von Pfalz-Zweibrücken-Vohenstrauß-Parkstein (1557-1597) in the family vault in Lauingen with this gem.
Two similarly designed jewels with the Palatine Lion have been preserved in the Green Vault in Dresden and in the treasury at the Munich Residence.