Featured Old silver brooch

Broken unfortunately. Thought it looked almost like Islamic script for a second but not so keen on that now. Can also almost see a faint 800 on back but could be a mirage. Someone here should know. Italian household again. Came in a bag lot.

 

It is North African, Citedine style. Also known as calligraphy style or Moorish style. In North African terms, Moorish culture is a mix of Arab and Berber.
The calligraphy can be made up script.

This is the right way up, and in the circled bit is an indentation that could be a mark:

 

You’re good AJ, thanks! I battled with which way was up and lost. Good eye on that spot, I missed it. I’ll let you know if there’s a mark. If there is it’ll have to be the smallest one I’ve ever seen I think.

 

Wow even under a loupe I can barely make it out. Pretty sure it’s the French crab for .800 smalls though. Good eye!!!

 

I am used to searching for North African marks. North Africans are excellent silver and gold markers, but their marks can be tiny, and often marked on the front instead of the back.

In that case it is probably Algerian. My guess is 1920s.

 

I looked at many similar pieces yesterday. Definitely teeny tiny and mostly front it looked like. As you mentioned once your eyes are trained to look for them there they stand right out. Thanks for tuning me in and for the Algerian tip, makes sense. I was curious to see when the French ruled there until and was surprised to see it lasted all the way to 1962.

 

A lot of older jewellery was actually sold to fund the fight for independence, but your brooch probably left Algeria long before that.