Recognisable as particularly Venetian in style, 'moretti' or blackamoor jewels are Shakespearean in inspiration, the most well known designed by Italian jewellers such as Nardi and Codognato. This blackamoor brooch was purchased from Codognato in the 1950s, a Venetian maison founded by Simeone Codognato 1866. Since then, Codognato has opened its doors to celebrities, collectors and Queens alike, including such names as Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly and Queen Victoria amongst their illustrious clientele.