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tline3open  OMG Silver Brooch

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Author Topic:   OMG Silver Brooch
BUNYIP

Posts: 7
Registered: Oct 2006

iconnumber posted 10-16-2006 12:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BUNYIP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[26-1233]

Does anyone have any idea of the maker for this silver brooch . It is in arts and crafts style. The silver makers mark is OMG . It looks to date about 1900 and has a moonstone in the center.

Thanks
Bunyip


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Ulysses Dietz
Moderator

Posts: 1265
Registered: May 99

iconnumber posted 10-17-2006 01:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ulysses Dietz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A great brooch. Moonstone? Agate? How big is it? I would, however, venture to say that the overall form of the brooch is arts and crafts, but that the geometric abstraction of the border pattern suggests a date in the 1920s or later. Arts and crafts really covers a lot of time, even though purists like to cut it off at about 1920. Do you see the cubism in the border? Then again, cubism started pretty early, too, so maybe I'm way off base.

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Kimo

Posts: 1627
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 10-17-2006 02:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kimo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It could also easily be 1950s - 1960s modernism.

Welcome to the forum Bunyip. One of the things we ask new folks here to do is to introduce themselves a bit and tell us about their interest in silver in general and about the items they are asking about in particular.

Also, your photo of your brooch is well done and appreciated but a full photo of the back showing the construction details and the type of catch that was used would be helpful in trying to figure out the approximate date it could be.

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Paul Lemieux

Posts: 1792
Registered: Apr 2000

iconnumber posted 10-17-2006 10:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul Lemieux     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Your Modernist style brooch hails from Scotland and was made by the Ola Gorie workshop, which is still in business. On much of the shop's work, a date letter is present which indicates exactly the year a piece was made. Are there other marks on your pin besides OMG? Ola first started producing her jewelry circa 1960, so the pin is not older than that. However, it does not appear to be a brand new piece, so I would hazard a guess of no later than the 1980s.

Click here for the website.

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BUNYIP

Posts: 7
Registered: Oct 2006

iconnumber posted 10-18-2006 06:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for BUNYIP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you for all the replies. I guessed it was probably about 1960's. Probably one of her early pieces as there is no date mark and it has age wear. I have checked out her website and she does have some nice pieces.

Many thanks again for your help.

Here is a photo of the back.

BUNYIP

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Paul Lemieux

Posts: 1792
Registered: Apr 2000

iconnumber posted 10-18-2006 10:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul Lemieux     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just as a general note, that type of pin hinge, called a "tube hinge", is sometimes used as the only factor to date things to the Victorian era. However, especially on Scandinavian and British items, this type of old-fashioned hinge was used well into the 60s and 70s. Some European makers still use it to this day.

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BUNYIP

Posts: 7
Registered: Oct 2006

iconnumber posted 10-18-2006 05:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BUNYIP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Many thanks
That is fascinating information . I had at first thought it had been repaired !!!
Bunyip

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FWG

Posts: 845
Registered: Aug 2005

iconnumber posted 10-18-2006 06:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for FWG     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just last night ran across a reference to Ola Gorie for OMG, in a new-to-me book, and had intended to suggest that as a possibility. But I'm not entirely convinced yet, as I think her work should have full Scottish hallmarks. And most seems to be more purely Celtic in inspiration than this piece.

The pin and hingepin are replacements, and part of the barrel catch is missing, so you do have some repair involved. The reference to a tube hinge is to the specific form of the hinge attachment.

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Paul Lemieux

Posts: 1792
Registered: Apr 2000

iconnumber posted 10-18-2006 07:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul Lemieux     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, the loop of wire is definitely not original. But the tube itself, the piece that is actually mounted on the brooch, is.

I am convinced this is Gorie's mark and work. As the design is rather Modernist, I think it is probably an earlier piece, 60s-70s. Suspect that as time went on, her designs, like those of Ed Levin, for example, became much less creative and more appealing to the average shopper (witness the array of Celtic type designs on her web page). I can see a vaguely Celtic influence in this particular pin...

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BUNYIP

Posts: 7
Registered: Oct 2006

iconnumber posted 10-19-2006 06:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BUNYIP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes I think it must be an early piece to as the silver is smoothing with cleaning and age . I have seen another piece with just the OMG mark .
Many thanks again
BUNYIP

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