Featured Incredible 1908 vermeil bracelet with insects and music trophy.

a true gem of a find !!!

 

Ooh, me too! Old jewellery can be so full of stories, it is frustrating not to be able to watch the movie of their life
Thank you!

Yep!

 

Lovely lovely piece (that was so clearly meant to come home to you, @kyratango ).

Research... hrmmm... there is some sort of Catholic Church or Civil marriage law/regulation that begins on 19 Avril 1908 and it really is complicating the research of possibly relevant events on that date.

Google translate isn't helping much and being able to eliminate this as a totally irrelevant event would move me along (most likely outcome is "nothing", but won't know until I can get this out of the way).

So if someone could take pity on this poor monolinguist and summarize this footnote:

 

Looks like a capped pearl tied to the ring shank with a "string".

 

Thanks Jivvy for coming to help and confirming this piece's fate was to end in my paws
To quickly summarize your doc, it says from the law of June 21th 1907 you needed to live in the city/village where you planed to get married at least since one month (6 months before this law) unless you had to get married In Extremis (for near to death person).
This 1907 law was in application in all catholic universe from the April 19th 1908 (the date inscribed on the bracelet).

 

There is a "thing" suspended below the engraved ring by a bowed string, to me it looks like a fruit... or ... an eggplant!

 

There is a "thing" suspended below the engraved ring by a bowed string, to me it looks like a fruit... or ... an eggplant!

 

Well that certainly doesn't seem worthy of bangle commemoration.

Thank you for the translation, for the moment I will ignore all references to this residency requirement.

 

Sadly, but as expected, research is leading nowhere. The relevant databases that I can easily access only go through 1907 - yes, it IS maddening.

 

Thanks for trying I do think it is anniversary or engagement related!
My hope is to find the maker, I saw similar detailed work in one of my books or... on internet site

 

And now you don't remember where.... I get that a lot too, I am sure many of us do. Jewellery should come with a card saying "Yes, you saw something like this before in .... page... top right". It never does.

 

Ha, that would be a dream
But I'm sure I'll find it by accident!
Of course search by images gave... nada!

 

I see the tale of the grasshopper and the ant. Perhaps this story and it's symbolism had meaning to the bride and groom. I am making up a story in my head- she was a rich "ant" and he was a poor "grasshopper." I also see forget-me-nots.... I LOVE this bracelet!!!

 

I like yours better, with all the wonderful symbolism, but had to share this buggy bracelet (mention of a dragonfly makes me want it): https://www.thierrydemaigret.com/lot/1583/454471

~Cheryl

 

Wow, Cheryl! A pity there is no attribution...
I love it too, only the price prevents the hoarding!

 

@DragonflyWink A friend of mine solved the symbolism of the engraved ring with B F... (the "thing" hanging below the ring is described as a pearl pendant!)



It is the exact representation of Bapst & Falize maker's mark!

What is puzzling is they were only associated from 1880 to 1892

From the fantastic blog of Jean-Jacques Richard:
https://www.richardjeanjacques.com/2018/03/les-falize-3-generations-de-joailliers.html?m=1



1890 electroplating bracelets:



1890 chizeled gold bracelets:



1906 advertisement still joining the two firms



An articulated gold bracelet with same closure, in a Bapst & Falize marked presentation box:


http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2016/05/18/33833296.html
Another same closure on a stunning reversible enamel bracelet!