Design for a Pendant Trophy
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-519-5
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled *Design for a Pendant Trophy is by the French artist René Charpentier (0–1723) and dates to around 1736. Though Charpentier died more than a decade earlier, the later date indicates this is likely a posthumous reproducing one of his ornamental designs. Classified as a print (medium unknown), it would have circulated among goldsmiths, jewelers, and decorative artists as a practical model. A “pendant trophy” is a hanging ornamental composition—typically an elegant cluster of weapons, musical instruments, foliage, or victory symbols—meant to be executed in metal, enamel, or ca...