Antique Art Nouveau brooch pendant. 14k yellow gold and pearl. Made in the USA circa 1890 - 1900. Maker possibly Alling & Co - see below.
Unisex - suitable for a man or a woman.
Measurements:
Weight is 5.8 grams. Length 2 3/8 inches (6cm).
Description :
Design combines both a humanoid and animal feature - a demon or devil's head with outstretched bat wings. Finely detailed head with gaping mouth stretched around a pearl. Given the age of the brooch, the pearl may well be natural, but has not been tested as such. Hinged pin with c-clasp. In addition, a curved gold hook allows the brooch to be hung on a necklace.
Very well made.
Classic Art Nouveau gold brooch / pendant. The Victorians (Art Nouveau era coincided with the late Victorian period) excelled at combining themes and purposes. A brooch could be used as a pendant, as in this case. An impish devil transformed into a bat.
The identical brooch is shown on page 113 of the book, The Glitter and the Gold, Fashioning America's Jewelry. The text tells us that it was made by Alling & Co. At the time, the brooch was in the hands of a private collection in Pennsylvania. We do not know whether this is the actual brooch shown, but it looks identical.
Marks and Metal:
We did not find any marks. Gold was tested as 14k.
Condition:
Good with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
Various creepy crawlies and grotesques were a popular theme during the Art Nouveau era. Jewelry artists managed to convert the repulsive into the ultra-beautiful. Some creatures, such as snakes were quite common, but bats, also highly popular at the time, were an exception. Today, hunt as you might, it will be extremely difficult to find the rare jewelry that features bat wings. The combination of devil/demon and bat wing make this a truly exceptional brooch.
During the period when this brooch was made, only natural pearls existed. Cultured pearls were a couple of decades away from being developed. If the pearl in this brooch is original, it is a rare, natural pearl. We are not going to remove it to have it tested, so we are selling it as a cultured pearl.
