Description
A beautiful, hand-crafted English Arts and Crafts necklace c1900, showing several features leading to attribution as Birmingham School piece of jewellery. It is so very close in style to the Gaskins, H G Murphy and so on but I just cannot attribute it solidly as of yet. It is undoubtedly by a very accomplished hand, as you need look only at those fabulous hand-crafted and gold-washed leaves to see the fine work. The cupped flower heads, with tiny balls inside and the excellent finish to all details with that fine ropework silver detail.
A hugely attractive design with a central MOP and halos of silver detailing around it. Set with a cupped flower at both N and S positions, there are golden leaves flanked to each side. You will see at the top of the design, there are two leaves to the left and three to the right. We all know that symmetry to the A&C craftspeople and designers of that era was not a factor, they were much more likely to take the naturalistic, more organic route every time. I am not sure if there was ever a third leaf on the left but there is no part of a stalk or section where it looked like there might have been one. There is a single leaf to either side of the lower flower. A claw-set turquoise stone is suspended below the main circular plaque of the pendant.
The chain also appears to be the original, with its wonderfully exuberant hand-crafted toggle fastener. The pendant height is approx 5.7cm and the length of the chain is approx 44cm (approx 17.25 inches). In pleasing condition. Some patina which you may prefer to polish away-I always leave it for you to decide upon.
I shall send in a new gift box (not the box in the images) by special delivery within the UK or else by international tracked and signed. Thank you.
Ref: ddc
