Posted 8 years ago
Kiwitaia
(13 items)
I would like any information that anyone would venture about this brooch. It was purchased in New Zealand in the 1940s or 1950s by a great aunt. I have always thought it was Arts & Crafts. It is 3.5 cm in diameter.
Welcome to CW!
Beautiful first post :-)
It speaks rather German style to me, but some real specialists of that era will know for sure!
Thank you! Well, the great aunt came from Germany in the mid 1930's, she could have brought it with her, I just, perhaps mistakenly thought it was NZ Arts & Crafts.
Hi Kiwitaia, two possibilities IMHO:
1) Kyra is possibly correct that this is German rather than NZ, meaning your aunt probably bought it out from Germany in the 1930's OR
2) Other possibility is that it's by the prominent NZ Arts & Crafts / Modernist silversmith of the mid 20th century, Edith Morris (1895 - 1965). She started production in the 1920's and worked in Wellington.
If you Google her you'll find a two part essay on the Te Papa site, and there are some similarities with her pieces in that article. In my opinion the roll-over safety on the clasp dates this to no earlier than the 1930's and is probably later.
Well worth getting in touch with Te Papa and the author of the article, Moira White of Otago Museum, her contact details are in her essay.
Thank you Paul for your invaluable comments and your advice. I have some Edith Morris pieces and that was my first thought but it could well be German. I will try and get in touch with Moira White.
The Aunt certainly had a lot of jewellery that she brought from Germany when she arrived in 1937.
Hi Kiwitaia, would love to see your Edith Morris pieces!
Kinda -http://www.esbirky.cz/predmet/3626030?series=2388589d84026194beefe3
Finally, I've solved the mystery surrounding this brooch. It is Israeli. My friend pointed out that the central stone is Eilat stone from Israel, and the aunt was there in the 1950s,
Aaahhh! Kudos! I really thought it was a turquoise, Eilat stone didn't come up to my mind when I saw it at first :-/
After all this time, nearly a year, solved the mystery of this lovely brooch, it is 1950s Israeli jewellery with an Eliat Stone in the centre. Thought everyone would be intersted.