Precious Late "Arts-And-Crafts" Brooch with Rubies, Chrysoprase &

At a time when the European jewelry world was dominated by the austere splendor of Art Deco, British goldsmiths were creating works of poetic gentleness that refused to follow the continent's general fashion trend. Their brooches and rings seem to be composed of light, color and rhythm; they are small universes of silver, gold and shining stones. The brooch exemplifies the harmonious interplay of controlled chance and artistic precision that characterises the jewellery of this distinctly British branch of the late Arts and Crafts movement. Along gracefully curved, gradually fanning silver wires unfolds an ornamental composition of colourful gemstones that make the sizeable piece resemble a cornucopia: natural moonstones shimmer in soft blue, fine chrysoprases glow in fresh green, and between them rubies radiate in warm purple. Interestingly, the rubies originate from different sources—some stones come from Burma, others from Thailand. It is possible that the rubies were already used here for a second time. Tiny gold granules provide luminous accents and emphasise the rhythm of the arrangement. Everything about this piece of jewellery is well thought out and at the same time seems to have grown naturally; the asymmetry of the basic shape is counteracted by the strict symmetry of the colored stones, but the two design ideas complement each other. The use of cabochons, whose smooth surfaces do not refract the light but rather collect and reflect it, is typical of the time. When we discovered the brooch in Great Britain, it was offered as the work of the London goldsmith Sibyl Dunlop (1889-1968). Dunlop, who ran her workshop in Kensington Church Street, is famous for her richly colored designs with numerous closely set gemstones. However, the brooch also shares many features of the design with the work of a colleague of Dunlop's, Dorrie Nossiter (1893-1977). Like Dunlop, Nossiter lived in London and both worked at around the same time. Unfortunately, the brooch is not signed, so that a clear attribution is not easy. However, due to the stylistic proximity to the work of the two women, it is certain that this brooch was also made in London in the 1920s or 1930s. We discovered the piece of jewellery in London.

Estimate:£3,320.64

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