Posted 9 years ago
kiwipaul
(117 items)
This silver ring is set with a very attractive 20 x 15mm piece of boulder opal with strong greens and smatterings of purple. It's the sort of stone that was used in early British Arts & Crafts pieces, with ironstone boulder showing through adding to its character.
This is another "School of Rhoda Wager" piece, contemporary with, and influenced by Australia's famous Arts & Crafts jeweller.
The use of boulder opal is interesting, because it was the material used by Rhoda in a couple of her Exhibition pieces. This can be seen in two of the well documented pieces on the Powerhouse Museum website identified as "black opal" that are actually boulder.
I'll add the links to those Powerhouse Museum images in a comment below so they appear as live URLs.
Here's the link to one of Rhoda Wager's exhibition pieces on the Powerhouse Museum site, identified as "black opal".
However from the image of the rear of the ring (click the little number 02 under the pic) , it's clearly ironstone backed boulder opal: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=462572
Hi Paul, I found this a very interesting write up personally, many thanks for the information.
Love the Rhoda Wager pieces .... I have only ever owned one many years ago .... a watch .... but nothing like the quality of your wonderful pieces. Thanks for sharing them and bringing her work to the attention of an international audience.
Hi Vetraio, I've never heard of a Rhoda watch, it must've been an interesting piece.
i love the blue/green colored opals. where do you think they were dug? lightning ridge? this one is amazing!
does boulder opal simply refer to the shape of the formation, or does it indicate color as well?
Hi ho2, Boulder opal is a specific type of opal found in South West Queensland, with veins of opal running through ironstone rock. I talk a bit more about it in this listing: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/165592
So special!
Powerhouse Museum has so much specific information in their descriptions of antique and contemporary items; very helpful for research; many other big name museums don't come close. Thank you for introducing it and kudos to the museum staff!
Hi Davyd, yes Powerhouse has fab on-line resources. As I understand it, their Rhoda Wager pieces are not on physical display. Hopefully one day they'll mount a special exhibition of her works and I'll be able to attend.
this big green/blue one is fabulous!
Hi Paul. The Powerhouse currently has an exhibition on which has some pieces of Wager. I've not seen it yet so I'm not sure how many there are or if they are from the Powerhouse collection. I think it's only on for another month.
You can book in to see the Wager sketch books via the archive.