Posted 8 years ago
pebble
(31 items)
I've only been trying to find out a bit more about this family collection for a few weeks but already I'm hooked on researching them and have learned a lot from looking at similar items on this site and working through the links that members are kind enough to post. I hope some of my posts might be useful and/or interesting to someone starting out like me, and I'd welcome any corrections if I'm getting things wrong!
So today I have these clip-on earrings marked "Siam sterling" on the back. The tail is hinged, as I've seen on other necklaces and brooches with the same peacock design. The design in silver and black is known as "Niello" or "Nielloware" (see link in comments). The interesting thing for me is that they were stored clipped on to a card printed with "Chirochana Raenkham, Public Welfare Department Thailand", with the name "Utoomporn Sanasen" handwritten above it.
I have a theory that my grandfather bought these for my grandmother, or that he was given them as a gift by one of the people on the card. Having "Thailand" on the card helps to date when he got them, as Siam was renamed Thailand in 1939, then reverted to Siam in 1945. Siam eventually became Thailand again in 1949. I believe these come from the earlier dates, as my grandfather died in the mid-1940s. If this is the case though, my grandmother probably didn't get them until after his death as he was away for years at a time and died overseas.
If you got this far, thank you for reading!
“These silver and black Thai pieces were popular in the 1950s through '70s, and were produced by a variety of jewellery shops. It is technically "Niello" or "Nielloware", created by carving out areas of the silver, and baking a sulfur/metals powder in the carved out areas. Note that the term "Siam" was used on these items from the early 1930s well into the 1980s (even when Siam was re-named Thailand). The term was used to represent the "Thai craftsmanship community." “ Charles Dittell http://www.siamman.com
http://siamman.com/siamqa.html
Thanks for the love and the link Efesgirl!
These peacocks are great.....and love your story too!!
Thanks TassieDevil, I wish I'd found these 20 years ago and I'd have been able to ask her the full story about the card and when she got them!
Thanks to TassieDevil, valentino97, aura, nutsabotas6, martika, pops52 for stopping by and for the love :)
The earings are very interesting and beautiful!
I am not so lucky that I din't have much old Thai jewelry...
Btw,most of people in SANASEN family are artists,some of them are very famous!
How interesting Nicspawee, thanks for sharing that! I know this is a fairly common design of earring as I've seen a lot on various auction sites etc., but I'm now wondering if Utoomporn Sanasen made this pair, and that's why they were stored with this card? Maybe the card was the only thing my grandfather had available to write down the name. What a mystery!
Gorgeous Pair Pebble!
This is my peacock brooch with hinged tail, also from Siam.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/194894-sterling-peacock-brooch
Thanks racer4four! I love the colours on your brooch. Seeing your post a couple of weeks ago was what made me look into this pair :)