A Fer-de-Berlin Cast Iron Inkwell Stand by Verlag bei E.G. Zimmermann, Germany, Hanau, 1850-1870

One of the ink compartments missing.

Height: 15 cm, width: 31 cm

The term "Berlin ironwork" refers to items and cast iron jewelry made in Berlin at the beginning of the 19th century in Germany. Before production began in Berlin, very similar jewelry was created in Gliwice (a city in Poland) and France. The roots of Berlin iron jewelry can be traced back to the establishment of the Königliche Eisengiesserei bei Berlin or the Royal Foundry of Berlin in 1804. The Royal Foundry of Berlin started producing iron goods such as vases, knife stands, lamps, bowls, plates, and medallions, as well as other commercial items like fences, bridges, and garden furniture. The first jewelry items, such as long chains with cast links, were created in 1806. Later, chains consisting of medallions connected with links and wire mesh were created. When Napoleon conquered Berlin in 1806, it seems that the molds were taken back to France, where additional production took place for several years. Iron jewelry production peaked between 1813 and 1815 when the Prussian royal family urged all citizens to donate their gold and silver jewelry to finance the rebellion against Napoleon during the War of Liberation. In return, people were given iron jewelry such as brooches and rings, often with the inscription Gold gab ich für Eisen (I gave gold for iron), or Für das Wohl des Vaterlands (For the welfare of our country/homeland), or with a portrait of Frederick William III of Prussia on the back. Until then, iron jewelry was only worn as a symbol of mourning (because of its black color acquired by treating the castings with linseed oil) and was of little value to be sought after, but suddenly, it became a symbol of patriotism and loyalty, and with its clear aesthetic appeal, it became popular overnight. The number of jewelry items produced began to decline after 1850, but continued to be made until the end of the century when the fashion ended. Around the beginning of the decline or a bit before, there seemed to be a shift towards more Gothic-style jewelry designs. In 1916, a similar attempt was made in Germany to promote iron jewelry and finance the German part of World War I. This was done by replacing gold jewelry with an iron medallion on which the words were written: Gold gab ich zur Wehr, Eisen nahm ich zur Ehr (I give gold for our defense efforts and I take iron for honor). However, this attempt was not as successful. Today, Berlin iron jewelry items are collectors' items and are usually found in museums or private collections. Collections of Berlin iron jewelry are held, among others, by the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, the Neues Museum on the Museum Island in Berlin, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Initially, the style of the designs, especially during the Napoleonic period, was Neoclassical, incorporating an abundance of items and replicas designed from cameos. From 1810, the style shifted slightly to a miniature form of Gothic Revival, combining the pointed arch and the rose window of the Gothic cathedral, along with less strict, more naturalistic motifs such as butterflies, clover (a plant with three leaflets such as clover) and grape leaves. The jewelry has a very delicate, detailed, and lace-like appearance. Berlin iron jewelry was painted black to prevent the iron from rusting and to enhance its use as mourning jewelry. There are very rare examples adorned with fine gold, silver, or polished steel. Some were also inlaid with medallions, imitating the classical Greek scenes on some of Josiah Wedgwood's jasperware (Josiah Wedgwood, 1730–1795), or portrait medallions of contemporaries made by James Tassie (an artist specializing in modeling and carving gem engraver who specialized in carving on precious stones, James Tassie, 1735–1799). Between 1808 and 1848, the royal factory of Berlin marketed plates as New Year's gifts, known as Neujahr-plaketten (New Year's plaques), usually depicting some event relevant to the year in question or castings so complex and delicate as those made with Berlin iron jewelry, very pure iron containing up to 0.7% phosphorus was used. This was done so that the iron would be slightly more fluid than it would normally be when melted. Although this type of 'phosphoric cast iron' is quite hard and more brittle, strength is not the primary goal of the metal when used in jewelry. The molten iron was cast into metal molds for cooling.