The perfect summer jewel…

Florence Koehler brooch, ca. 1905

Lovely as a summer’s day! This beautiful sapphire, emerald & pearl brooch by American jeweler Florence Koehler, epitomizes the Arts & Crafts period at the end of the late 19th c. - early 20th c. A movement in which Florence Koehler was well known and admired for with her exquisite designs and craftsmanship. A founding member of the Arts & Crafts movement in Chicago, she also worked in pottery, painting and even interior design. Florence studied enamelwork and jewelry in London in 1898 with Alexander Fisher and lived in London until 1912 becoming a part of the vibrant art community there. She then moved to Paris where she stayed for many years, eventually moving to Rome in the 1930’s. She was well acquainted with the artists & writers of the time, including the likes of Henry James and Henri Matisse. Although she spent time in Chicago, she lived in Europe for the majority of her life. A strong and independent woman most certainly ahead of her time! Her jewelry oftentimes referenced historical periods, in particular, the Renaissance, which you can see in this brooch with its lovely enamelwork and form.

A commission for a prominent lady in Chicago…

The brooch is one element in a three piece suite that was commissioned by Emily Crane Chadbourne, daughter of Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane and a close friend of Florence’s. The set also includes a beautiful hair comb and a four strand pearl necklace that could be worn simply as a pearl necklace or worn with the brooch, which turned into a pendant once the pin mechanism was removed. It was very common for jewelry to be made with convertible elements at that time. Women in society often changed their attire 2-3 times a day (or more!) depending on what their activities and social events were - so a lovely pin worn on a day dress could turn into a more dramatic pearl and gem-set necklace for evening wear. Brilliant, when you think about it!

Color, Design, A summer day unfolding…

I adore the lush blues and greens of this piece, the intertwining vine motif, the detailed enamel work depicting leaves and decorative border, and the clusters of small white pearls, representing flowers or perhaps grapes - a veritable garden! I happened to see this brooch in the late afternoon one day, at the Met Museum, when the sun was streaming through the glass ceiling of the American Wing's Sculpture Court and illuminating all the gems in its path. Note the reflection of the glass ceiling in the central sapphire. I cannot think of a gem that more embodies the feeling of summer than this delightful brooch. Thank you Florence!

To see the full set and learn a bit more about Florence Koehler, click here - Met Museum.

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The Met Museum in NYC hosts a wide range of beautiful and historic jewelry, however, it is spread across the museum depending on what era of art it pertains to. In 2018, the museum published a book about their collection, Jewelry - The Body Transformed which features everything from ancient Egyptian jewelry to pieces by French designer Lalique, as well as more modern works by Art Smith and Alexander Calder. A wonderful book with gorgeous images and informative text on the history of jewelry and how it’s been worn. I highly recommend it!

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To learn more about the Arts & Crafts period of design read this illuminating piece by the Antique Jewelry University - a division of Lang Antiques in San Francisco. The AJU is a wonderful place to learn about all periods and forms of antique jewelry!

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-Above image by W. Smith

Egyptian Ring with Cat and Kittens

Left: image credit Metropolitan Museum, NYC / Right: image credit Wendy Smith

Egyptian Faience Cat Ring

ca. 1295-664 BC

I spied this little gem, an ancient Egyptian faience ring, featuring a cat with her seven kittens, in NYC at the gallery Les Enluminures, as part of the Rings Around the World exhibit in 2016. Forty-five rings on view, dating from the Bronze age to the year 2015. There were many amazing rings but this one particularly impressed me with its intricate openwork design, its subject matter and above all, the material it was made from - faience. How it had survived for almost 3,000 years, was beyond me!

The following year, in 2017, the Metropolitan Museum of Art bought the ring from a private collector and it is now on view for the world to see in Gallery 125 of the Egyptian wing. To learn more go to: The Met Museum.

So what it faience?

According to potter Amy Waller- “Egyptian faience (also known as Egyptian paste) is the oldest known glazed ceramic. It was first developed more than 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Egypt and elsewhere in the ancient world. It is known for its bright colors, especially shades of turquoise, blue and green, …” For more information about faience and where to see examples of it in museums, go to: Amy Waller Pottery

Side notes:

-The cat with kittens motif is thought to represent the Egyptian goddess Bastet - Bastet is known as the goddess of fertility, pregnancy and childbirth (seven kittens) as well as the goddess of protection against contagious disease and evil spirits. There are examples of this goddess with her kittens at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (a place I highly recommend to visit while in London) and also at the British Museum.

-And… as Sandra Hindman, owner of Les Enluminures so interestingly states: “Cats were held in high esteem in Egypt…. In fact, cats were so highly regarded that, like humans, they were mummified and buried in special ‘cat cemeteries.’ ”

So much meaning and symbolism in one small ring!

If you’d love to learn more about rings throughout history,

I highly recommend these books:

Rings Around The World (from the Les Enluminures Exhibition in NYC, 2016)

Rings - Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty by Diana Scarisbrick (a staple in every antique jewelry dealer’s library)