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An interesting old repair

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Author	Topic: An interesting old repair
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 06-17-2020 04:09 PM Here's an interesting old repair. Here's a coin silver comb of the most ordinary kind, I believe from c. 1840s-50s, made of very thin silver sheet with tines soldered on. (The tines may be silverplate.) At some point the comb tore, which is not surprising since the silver is so thin, and someone repaired it, using an American silver three-cent piece as a patch. The date on the coin isn't completely visible, but this particular pattern was only made from 1851-53. I recognized it because I'm familiar with these coins from a bracelet I have made of silver half-dimes and three-cent pieces, all with dates between 1840-1857, joined by thin chains. (Plus one dime from 1823, but I'm pretty sure that's a later addition.) Isn't it sweet? IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 06-17-2020 04:11 PM The comb with my coin bracelet: Close-up of the patch with one of the 3-cent pieces from the bracelet: IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 06-17-2020 04:24 PM I like it. The back looks better than the front. One would think the repair would look different on the front. IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 06-17-2020 04:32 PM I expect it came unstuck or tore further over the years. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 06-17-2020 08:27 PM Unstuck must be a technical term. I will have to remember that one. Neat piece and no doubt that it is coin silver. It is fun seeing repairs like this and really shows how the original owner loved the piece. IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 06-17-2020 08:39 PM i LOVE interesting repairs! they can be far more interesting than the piece itself. the comb wouldn't have interested me in "excellent" condition, but the coin repair would have made me an immediate buyer. IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 06-17-2020 09:31 PM Paul, yes! That was exactly how I felt. I wouldn't have bought it in perfect condition, but I found the little coin repair so touching I had to have it. IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 06-18-2020 04:16 PM It's not precisely related, but this talk of repairs made me think of the centuries old Japanese art of Kintsugi, a technique that uses gold pigmented lacquer to reassemble broken pieces of pottery. It can render the "repaired" vessels more beautiful than before by drawing attention to the damage instead of attempting to conceal it. [This message has been edited by Paul Lemieux (edited 06-18-2020).] IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 06-18-2020 11:24 PM Paul the kintsugi technique is wonderful. All the breaks are hiding in plain view. Thanks for showing that. IP: Logged
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 06-19-2020 02:45 PM Sweet piece, Polly - and the bracelet as well. I like interesting repairs too, once buying a pair of 19th c. Danish spoons partially because of an interesting repair on one; and had a customer many years ago who would buy pretty much any ceramic 'make-do' I offered (there were a couple I wish I'd kept). Also like Kintsugi (have seen silver used too), and have considered attempting it since I have metallic powders in my art supplies, and being a bit clumsy, broken ceramic pieces aren't hard to find. It's become a trend of late, pieces intentionally broken and repaired, including new production, and even jewelry with the effect - takes away from the appeal for me when not an honest repair... ~Cheryl IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 06-19-2020 03:42 PM The web site that Paul gave us also shows some collages that Paul Scott, a British artist, made with this kintsugi technique. IP: Logged

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