Topic: Antique?Silver brooch with glass front and silver/gold foil/leaf Japanese lady

[flying free]

This is quite possibly not the right place for this query, but whilst the board is a little quiet I thought I'd try this out (and I've had this for aeons and can't think where else to ask about something like this).
Does anyone have any idea of possible maker or even era/year for this kind of thing please, or recognise the technique involved perhaps?
I thought it was kind of 1895 ish maybe?   I could be totally wrong.  The back says Pat.applied for and is marked silver.  
Thanks for any thoughts.
m

[keith]

Could it be 'reverse' painted on the inside of the glass,a common practise in China but not aware of it in Japanese art,if it is Japanese,
Although it does look like foil looking at it again so......?

[flying free]

Keith thanks for looking
I think it is British, but the lady is in Japanese dress I thought and carrying a parasol in one hand and flower in the other which is what made me also think it could be late 19th century.  I think it is some kind of gold leaf and silver leaf or foils on some of it but on the rest, her face, arms, hands etc, yes perhaps it could be painted on the glass, then the foil put on the dress areas and then backed in black of some media in order to highlight the foils?  It is unbelievably only about 1 1/2" long with all that detail on it.  

[flying free]

This is the closest shot I can get - her face is only 2mm in length so I took this through a 10x magnifying glass.

[keith]

I'd say  you're right and it's not oriental,looking at the face she looks very European,in the Japanese art I'm familiar with faces are usually longer and more stylised,jewelery is not my 'thing' can't tell a diamond from paste

[flying free]

She does look very European, even just looking at it without enlarging it I can tell that.....it's funny isn't it, she's there with her hair up, all posed with parasol and in full Japenese dress, but her face still looks European.  Well thanks for looking anyway  :sun:
m

[chopin-liszt]

I've seen a whole load of paintings around various European galleries by artists such as Matisse - where the subject matter is European gentry all dressed up in oriental or other national dress for parties or soirees.

The actual work in this piece is outstanding, m - for a face so tiny - there is expression in it. It's quite beautiful.
I'd think it dates to the art nouveau or art deco periods - maybe inbetween, when oriental stuff was in it's fashionable hey-day.

[scavo]

I'm not an expert but I do know a little about onions:

In the 19th century orientalism was a feature of art and design. All the artists referenced it (Hokasai woodblocks on VanGaugh paintings etc), William Morris floral designs, Liberty sold Japanese Woodblock prints, Macintosh furniture ...

I think it is European, possibly linked to the Arts and Crafts movement, certainly fits with Art Neuvo sensibilities. So much hunch would be late C19 to pre WW1. I would suspect English.

Very interesting piece. Off for another look!

[flying free]

Thank you Sue and Scavo  :sun:  Good to have the date ish confirmed and that I wasn't that far out on the era.   Soiree...I love that word.  It conjures up all sorts of fabulous imagery of a bygone era (only good if you were rich though lol).  I agree it is a gorgeous little piece and someone went to a lot of trouble to make it.  I may get round to using it one day.
Thanks again, it is much appreciated.
m

[chopin-liszt]

Not just A&D, we had G&S writing "The Mikado".

It would make a very pretty centrepiece of a choker, if you could find a way of fixing it to something.