Featured French Penannular Brooch Silver & Gold

The only thing of interest in the antiques fair today!
I’ve seen plenty of the chunky Penannular brooches but this is very delicate, certainly wouldn’t hold cloth together so just decorative.
It’s marked with definitely one crab and possibly 2 but they look slightly different.
It appears to have some gold or gold plating.
French marks are SO tiny!
So, apart from being post 1838 due to the Crab, any clues as to the age please or any other information
Thankyou

 

I have nothing to add except that whoever put the marks on that little pin when they had alll that space on flat surfaces needs a strong talking to.

 

French marks in general really! …..
‘How small can we make them and where can we hide them?’

 

KSW I always have to keep my "dictionary" handy when you post. Penannular = new one on me! Nice brooch.

 

You could go hoarse in Egyptian assay offices. If they're going to put all 3 marks on a brooch, they are invariably on the pin stem.

 

It is a Provençal fibula, I have a few as well, I love them. They are no longer worn, my guess is they are second half of the 19th-early 20th. The 'stones' are usually glass.

Halfway down this page:
https://www.bijouxregionaux.fr/en/contenu.php?idcontenu=14

The term pennanular refers to the shape, the term fibula refers to the purpose. Fibula is generally used when speaking of ethnic/regional jewellery.

Some people say these fibulae are North African (also French marks). It could be that they are made on both sides of the Med, the north shore and south shore aren't that far apart, and there has been cultural interaction for as long as the Med exists.

 

And the Dutch. On the pin stem, on the C-clasp, or on the front.

 

They want to make life interesting for Joolies,but our gang here generally outsmart them !
Seriously,are tiny/tiny Jeweler marks a badge of craftsmanship ? The way MCM Artists make their signatures as indecipherable as possible.
Love that particular shape/form of Bronze Age style brooch/fibula.

 

Those tiny marks are usually assay marks, so nothing to do with jewellers. Maker's marks can be slightly bigger.

In some countries jewellers/retailers and importers also mark pieces, but you don't see those marks that much.

 

Seeing this one reminded me of a little, delicately made, one I have:





Either I never checked it for marks, or failed in finding them, pre-USB microscope, but:



Looks like the French export silver Mercury head to me. There is an indistinct mark above it on the pin stem.

 

Could well be, yours is also Provençale, and a sweetie.

 

Two of mine, I think I have five now, a mild addiction. When I see them for a good price I usually buy them.

 

Oh dear, what tempting little treasures to collect. Can see them in shadow boxes, mounted on black velvet.

 

You already have one, and a perfect start for a collection, with those lovely "aquamarines".

 

Since we're doing these gizmos:



This one is slightly larger than the Provençale one, but still too small to hold heavy fabric. The decorative part appears to have been cast, not very cleanly on the back side. Marked in 2 places, pin & ring. I can't tell if it's 2 of the same mark or 2 different marks. Scandinavian?

 

How do you actually wear these shapes?

 

Tunisian.

 

You line up the pin with the opening in the ring & then, moving it back, run it through a bit of cloth/lace. You move the pin forward/move the ring back, so the pin can pass through the opening in the ring. Keeping the pin in front of the ring, move either pin or ring so pin is no longer lined up with the opening, effectively locking it. Doing it is easier than trying to describe it. A Youtube video would be about 4 seconds long.

 

You stick the pin through a cloak or shawl while you hold the round bit away from the fabric, then you twist the round shape so you can slip the pin through the opening.
I used to have a photo of a Berber lady wearing two fibulae, but can't find it.

Edit: sniped by Bronwen.

 

Found the Berber lady. Tunisia ca 1910.
These are more basic shapes, but the same concept: