Posted 11 years ago
Agram.m
(762 items)
This is a small (3.5 x 2.3 cm) Antique Chinese Kingfisher feathers brooch. There are beautiful colors including some with flowers and leaves. On the back is a mark which include the initials: K L S.
Thanks to KYRATANGO I know now that this kind of jewelry was made of Kingfishers feather pieces glued as cloisonné like onto gilt silver.
The art of feather inlay required a base and frame to contain it; since only the seriously wealthy were able to afford it, this "captive audience" was of obvious attraction to the silversmith. The inlay process required cutting tiny pieces of iridescent feathers and combining it with a crystal clear glue that was set into a silver gilt frame and base to give an overall effect that was not visually dissimilar from cloisonné work.
Maybe one of you can give me maybe something about the mark and / or the significance of the Chinese letters forming the pattern of the brooch.
freiheit thanks for your quick respons and loving.
Do you agree with me that it's a pity we don't see any more comments (names and the first words of the answers) on the right site of the pages??
Its a beauty!
Newtimes thanks for your compliment and loving!
aghcollect thanks for loving.
Beautiful!!!!
SEAN68 THANKS!
How lovely! You have such a wonderful collection.
Cindyjune what a very nice remark, thanks !
DrFluffy,tom61375, Moonstonelover21, walksoftly, vetraio50, valentino9,
bratjdd, toolate2, lisa, and Manikin I thank all of you for loving!!
PLEASE HELP ME TO DECODE THE MARKS AND TEXT ON THE BROOCH!!
Great colors! Very pretty!
Oh, it looks like KOSDOE to me...no idea what that means, sorry.
Sorry not to be able to help with the marks, just can say this was not made for export...
But more important, it is not enamel (only perhaps if restored areas). It is kingfisher tiny feathers pieces glued as cloisonne like.
Have a look at Wikipedia kingfisher tian-tsui!
Wonderfull find!
kyatango, thanks you so much! You are right indeed. When looking through the magnifier I indeed see little pieces saying to myself: "This is no enamel" but as you say Kingfisher feathers. It was really a find because I liked the colors and pattern of this brooch so much not yet knowing what is was. I only paid a few dollars because the seller didn't know this either and it was sold as enamel.
Thanks you again so much for explaining I'm very grateful to learn about more and more from you, other collectors!
Your welcome Agram.m:)
AmberRose thanks, I know now thanks to Kyratango what it is!
You're welcome :-)
vintagejewel thanks a lot for loving
nutsabotash6, thanks for your nice compliment and loving. I agree the colors are so beautiful. When I got it I though in the first place it was enameled but it seems to be Kingfisher feathers.
I'm from China. This maybe for Export since Qing daynasty in China history, as it was marked for English letters. If it's for China domestic, it will be marked in Chinese , name after the manufacturer.
Okay, but what does it say? :)
Moonstonelover21 thanks for love
katherinescollections thanks for love and help.
Funi thanks for your comment and love but indeed I agree with katherinescollections what does it say?
Hi Agram :-)
The characters are upside down on your pics, you will find them in auspicious chinese lucky characters. Keep in mind they may be either simplified or more "ornate"!
General meaning of these writing is usually, prosperity, happiness, health.
kyratango, thanks for your valuable comment. I got the Chinese lucky characters translated into Chinese placed next to the mark. But I get no match. It remains literal Chinese to me. Perhaps one of the collectors who has knowledge of the Chinese language is powerful here to say more. So far I see no solution to this question, do you? In any case, thanks a lot.
Agram It's beautiful
Hope you get an answer on the characters
I still haven't figured out the characters on my jade amulet drives me insane not knowing
http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=chardict
melaniej I completely understand it drives you insane that happens to me often. It can take days sometimes weeks, continue to look for solutions to mysteries concerning jewelry. But the link you gave will be of help I hope.
Amazing piece
Master thanks for your love and nice compliment and of course I agree.
I don't know if this was ever solved, but in case not, while I can't read Chinese, I do have some knowledge to "handle" these characters. And from what I can tell, they read ? "longevity", ? "prosperity", ? "good fortune". First I'm certain of, second I have no doubt, but third is more deduction and comparison to other sloppily/artistically written ?'s (it def starts with ?, though, just like the second symbol does).
Okay, didn't expect them to be turned into question marks. So, wiktionary links it is:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%AF%BF - longevity
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A5%BF - prosperity
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A6%8F - good fortune
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A4%BB - starter component of second and third symbol
Parrotbeak thank you very much for your useful and informative comment !
Now you have given me an answer to my questions.