IHS pendant of Prince Francis I (1577-1620)

The pendant with the monogram of Christ was excavated from the sarcophagus of Duke Francis I. Its composition is based on the scheme of an isosceles cross in which the letters IHS are set, intertwined with diamonds. The ends of the arms of the cross, as well as the point where they intersect, are accented with diamonds in large, square castles. The whole is surrounded by an openwork ornamentation of softly curved volutes, small leaves and blue enamel-covered forget-me-not flowers. Originally, the open-work frame was more colourful than it is today: apart from the blue, white and green enamel, it was decorated with touches of red (traces of transparent enamel in this colour are only fragmentarily preserved on the backs of the volutes). The composition is characterised by clarity and elegance. The closest analogies for the Szczecin jewel can be found in the jewel book (Kleinodienbuch) of the Hamburg goldsmith Jacob Mores the Elder from the years 1593-1603 (Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg). Mores' hangings, although more elaborate than those of Szczecin, are similar in the central parts to the jewel of Prince Francis. The similarities are visible both in the composition of the letters IHS interwoven with the cross motif and in the accentuation of the centre and the ends of the cross arms with larger chests, as well as in the ornamental motifs: red and white volutes combined with forget-me-not flowers. The Christogram IHS is an abbreviation of the Greek writing of the name Jesus. IHS jewels were popular from the late Middle Ages, which was connected with the cult of the name of Jesus developing from the 15th century. In Catholic culture they had a devotional meaning, while for Protestants they were a symbol of faith in Christ. In the jewel inventories of Pomeranian dukes, jewels with the name of Jesus are mentioned several times, most often set with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Monika Frankowska-Makała