Antique silver and amber bakelite chatelaine pin. Exact age and origin unknown, but looks like it dates to the late 19th - early 20th century.

From the prestigious estate of Mrs Mary Timmins, well-known collector and authority on antiques, who lectured on the subject in the 1940's, this was one of the pieces she used in her talk on Women in Colonial Days. Sadly, she is not here to tell us more about it, but it was part of her personal collection.

The chatelaine was sold to me as silver, but the metal does not look silver to me - it has a gold coloured wash / tinge. The pin part of the chatelaine consists of very beautiful scoll and engraved openwork. The design and fine detail are exceptional. A pin on the back would attach it to a lady's garment. This part of the chatelaine looks Victorian.

6 loops are attached to the bottom of the pin. Long chains hang from 4 of them. Loops at the bottom would have various household necessities attached to them. The loops have engraved COIN on the inside surface, which might refer to Coin silver.

The central rings have short chains that support a series of 3 voluptious, rounded disks. They look like amber, but are Bakelite. Mottled honey orange/gold/yellow/brown - subtle and very beautiful. The geometric shapes hint at the Modern Art Deco period, although the chatelaine probably predates this era. There are two chains with loops at the bottom of this series.

Condition is good.

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