Brooches, Deco-rative keepsakes
Some brooches, at Deja Pseu's (of Une femme d'un certain age) invitation– and I look forward to seeing yours!
With the exception of the first, all are Art Deco. I've spent a longtime in Deco thrall; when I was single, my house looked like a set for "Mommy Dearest".
One Saturday in the early '80s, I found this Edwardian turquoise and silver brooch in a Toronto vintage shop called Divine Decadence, a contrast among sumptuous satin and velvet evening wear. Not sure if American or Mexican; I liked its roughness and black matrix.
Ca. 1930 coral bakelite hand with roses, found in a Toronto antique shop now closed. Some women collect hand brooches. I often pin them to scarves, because I wear so few jackets anymore.
A diamond and demantoid garnet lizard crawls up a sleeve; the garnet variety is one of Le Duc's favourite stones; this was a gift from him. A lighter brooch is comfortable year-round; heavier pieces need a substantial fabric to hold them, something to think about when choosing.
Use a bulldog (the same thingy that secures a stickpin) for extra security– clasps can work lose. A view from the back with the bulldog attached. (IRL I'd slide it on while pinning.)
Georg Jensen silver leaf-motif piece, bought 20 years ago from a formal, slightly eccentric Viennese woman who kept a miniscule shop for a short time. Such merchants seem to dwindle by the year; they are nearly always older persons when you find them. She also sold mother-of-pearl buttons so heavy you could use them as doorstops.
Worn with dove grey freshwater pearls with a vintage clasp; from Kojima Company.
More a pin than brooch; emeralds and diamonds set in platinum, a Mother's Day gift at least 20 years ago. Le Duc bought it at an auction.
Any green stone is good for redheads. Above, a look at the lively little emeralds up close.
This humble wood pin is simple but sentimental; it's carved with my mother's initials; I think her brother made it. She pinned it to the lapel of a jacket she wore to shoot skeet. I also had the jacket, made with remarkable workmanship–a leather front and knit wool sleeves–until lost moving years ago. Worn with the green turquoise Rescue Necklace from my ill-fated foray into DIY.
These brooches are at least 50 years old. I've worn them decades and hope to pass them on when I'm unable to work the teeny clasps. (I noticed while shooting this that they get fiddlier by the year!)
I've owned fun and funky costume, but in the last move nearly all found new homes. I'd buy a synthetic again, Bittar or some talented local artist working in resin, but fake metals lack soul and plastic (bakelite excepted) doesn't excite me.
And since we often wear them near our hearts, shouldn't a brooch should make ours beat faster?
With the exception of the first, all are Art Deco. I've spent a longtime in Deco thrall; when I was single, my house looked like a set for "Mommy Dearest".
One Saturday in the early '80s, I found this Edwardian turquoise and silver brooch in a Toronto vintage shop called Divine Decadence, a contrast among sumptuous satin and velvet evening wear. Not sure if American or Mexican; I liked its roughness and black matrix.
Ca. 1930 coral bakelite hand with roses, found in a Toronto antique shop now closed. Some women collect hand brooches. I often pin them to scarves, because I wear so few jackets anymore.
A diamond and demantoid garnet lizard crawls up a sleeve; the garnet variety is one of Le Duc's favourite stones; this was a gift from him. A lighter brooch is comfortable year-round; heavier pieces need a substantial fabric to hold them, something to think about when choosing.
Use a bulldog (the same thingy that secures a stickpin) for extra security– clasps can work lose. A view from the back with the bulldog attached. (IRL I'd slide it on while pinning.)
Georg Jensen silver leaf-motif piece, bought 20 years ago from a formal, slightly eccentric Viennese woman who kept a miniscule shop for a short time. Such merchants seem to dwindle by the year; they are nearly always older persons when you find them. She also sold mother-of-pearl buttons so heavy you could use them as doorstops.
Worn with dove grey freshwater pearls with a vintage clasp; from Kojima Company.
More a pin than brooch; emeralds and diamonds set in platinum, a Mother's Day gift at least 20 years ago. Le Duc bought it at an auction.
Any green stone is good for redheads. Above, a look at the lively little emeralds up close.
This humble wood pin is simple but sentimental; it's carved with my mother's initials; I think her brother made it. She pinned it to the lapel of a jacket she wore to shoot skeet. I also had the jacket, made with remarkable workmanship–a leather front and knit wool sleeves–until lost moving years ago. Worn with the green turquoise Rescue Necklace from my ill-fated foray into DIY.
These brooches are at least 50 years old. I've worn them decades and hope to pass them on when I'm unable to work the teeny clasps. (I noticed while shooting this that they get fiddlier by the year!)
I've owned fun and funky costume, but in the last move nearly all found new homes. I'd buy a synthetic again, Bittar or some talented local artist working in resin, but fake metals lack soul and plastic (bakelite excepted) doesn't excite me.
And since we often wear them near our hearts, shouldn't a brooch should make ours beat faster?
Comments
They are called "barrel-style clutches" on that site. My jeweler called it a 'bulldog' and gave it to me.
fmcg: Oh, sorry to hear that. It's so easy to lose them, somehow you'd think we'd hear them fall, but we don't. The clutch on a pin is a good peace of mind accessory.
I must confess to liking the emeral and diamond one the best and my compliments to you on your elegant pearls.
Swooning from here :-)
Good tip about the bulldog, I'll use one on a couple of my less secure brooches.
And thanks for the bulldog tip. As soon as I figure out how to say it in Spanish, I'll be adding one to my jewelry box.
Everyone: Thanks for your encouragement, I am rather shy about showing my possessions.
Anonymous: That current promotion (till Dec. 2) on 20 items is good for holiday shopping or if you want something among those items now, but the sale early in the new year is usually 30%, and can be even more. (But sometimes what I want is s/o).
Also glad to hear about the bulldogs. I lost a brooch I loved when it fell off and stopped wearing them for years, now I am gravitating toward them again.
I lost a beloved new brooch at a conference two years ago, only weeks after having bought it in London. I wonder if that bulldog would have saved it for me. . .
C.
materfamilias; If you saw the bottom half it was all jeans :)
c.: Shooting this realize wish I'd kept a couple old costume ones. Oh well.