The Daily Brooch, part 3

May 4:  Dancing pigs from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The image is taken from an illustration by Randolph Caldecott. (My husband raised pigs when, for a short time, he had a hobby farm.)

Right: Caldecott's The Cat and the Fiddle was published by Warne in 1901.

May 5: “This design is derived from the portal gate at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church c. 1835 in Charleston, South Carolina,” says the card that I have kept all these years. It’s a souvenir from our first Elderhostel trip to Charleston in August, 1996.

May 6: An architectural design element from the Library of Congress, another ALA conference souvenir. (I’ve been to DC about 15 times. Only once (1974) was the trip not for library or AAUW business.)

May 7:  From a quilt show a few years ago. I could replicate the hairstyle on my own head with very little effort right now.

May 8: Last of the butterfly series. Danish sterling. It was among my mother-in-law’s jewelry, so I’ve had it for 30 years and a few months.  I found another one on eBay with this description:  “1943 sterling silver brooch by Arno Malinowski for Georg Jensen, Denmark. Very scarce piece” and prices from $350 to $750.  When I wear it I will be sure the clasp is closed!

May 9:  35 years ago this month we had a family wedding in San Diego. My parents, Stevens, and I went to Tijuana for a couple of hours—the border crossing was no big deal then. I bought this at one of the shops. 

Right:  on the Tijuana streetcar

May 10: Mexican jade (onyx) and silver from the 1930s, one of Grandmother Blaine’s. In the 70s I wore it on the lapel of a black velveteen blazer that was sturdy enough for this rather large (2”x3”) and heavy piece. (There are many in this style on eBay and vintage jewelry sites.)

May 11: I remembered that this dolphin came from a museum exhibit about Vatican art but I couldn't recall when or where I saw it. I learned that it was The Vatican Collections: The Papacy and Art, curated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982. Since that was the year we moved from Kansas to Maine I know that I didn't see the exhibit. Ergo, my mother went to see it at the Art Institute and bought the pin for me. (When I looked it up I found out that "reproduction museum jewelry" as a search term turns up much temptation.)

May 12: Ceramic (the clay is heavy and dark). One of the trustees at one of my libraries was a charming, courtly older gentleman. He and his wife brought this back from one of their trips. (This is the first of several. Stay tuned.)

May 13:  A filigree key—I think from a museum exhibit with Spanish art. Another gift from my mother.