"topkapi" Brooch In The Shape Of An Orientalist Dagger

Ernest Deberghe, Paris, circa 1880

A rare, large French brooch in the shape of an oriental dagger, crafted in gold and silver and richly set with colored gemstones and pearls.

The setting, 8 cm long, takes the spectacular form of an oriental dagger with a curved blade. It is entirely adorned with a delicate openwork design of gold arabesques, accented by twisted borders. Sapphires, rubies, and topaz—some set on a gold backing to enhance their color—alternate with natural pearls, creating a particularly decorative polychromatic effect.

This creation reflects the fascination with the Orient that permeated French decorative arts and jewelry in the second half of the 19th century. The reference to precious Ottoman weapons—particularly the sumptuous daggers preserved in the treasury of the Topkapı Palace in Constantinople—explains the traditional name “Topkapi Brooch.”

The clasp bears the French crab hallmark as well as a diamond-shaped master’s mark “E.D.” separated by a motif in the shape of a knife sheath, most likely corresponding to the hallmark of Ernest Deberghe, a jeweler based at 10 rue des Lombards in Paris, whose hallmark has been registered since 1878.

The inclusion of a knife sheath as a distinguishing feature of the hallmark is particularly interesting on a piece of jewelry specifically designed in the shape of a bladed weapon.

France, circa 1880.

Gold, silver, topaz, sapphires, rubies, and natural pearls.

Dimensions: 8 × 2.7 cm.

In perfect condition.