Norwegian Enameled Sølje--Silver or Brass?

[NorskyGal]

Does anyone know if Norwegians ever made enameled sølje out of brass? I have a few pieces that are unmarked on the back that I always thought to be gold over silver. I also just bought an unmarked enameled sølje that the seller advertised as brass but I'm wondering if it could possibly be gold over silver. (The price was right either way..I just think the brooch is so pretty.) I am providing a link to a picture of the brooch I just bought. (The seller doesn't have a picture of the back & at this point I don't want to impose on them by asking them to take a picture of the back & upload it. Also, I don't currently have a camera to take good enough pictures of the pieces I already have, but maybe in a day or two I can get a hold of one if anyone thinks it would be helpful.) Thank you!
http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2569675700060015439JzbdVa

[NorskyGal]

I guess I'm unable to edit my original post...but I got to thinking...could this piece be bronze? Also, the metal did respond by brightening up when I took a q-tip lightly dipped in sterling silver cleaner I bought for sølje at my local Scandinavian shop. (I tested the back so I wouldn't get it on the enamel.)

[volpone]

That is lovely. I don't think it's silver just from the picture - the translucent red enamel doesn't look quite right for that, based on other pieces I've seen with red enamel. You may be right in suspecting bronze. I don't think silver cleaner would damage enamel at any rate. Nice find!

[Tosten]

I don't think that your pin is norwegian. It is not a sølje, but it could look like the pins that was made for the people in towns in Norway.
But I have never seen them made in brass and enamel.

[volpone]

Sorry for the delay getting back to this thread, it took me a while to find these two pieces. The open salt cellar is Russian, the solje-looking pin is unmarked. Both are brass with kiln-fired enamel. Perhaps all three pieces are somehow related?

[volpone]

I keep coming back to this piece for some reason. I just found this image online of a silver solje by Norsk Filigransfabrikk:
(admin photo edit - images too large - link only - see Posting Requirements )


http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/jritter284/norskfiligransfabrikk.jpg

While not identical, the center piece is the exact same pattern as the OP's.

[dognose]

Sometimes, things are not what they seem too be!


Richard Unverferth - Pforzheim - 1903

I'd always assumed sølje would only be made in Norway, but just like the Birmingham manufacturers who turned out large quantities of unmarked Scottish pebble jewellery in the late 19th century, it would appear that the German manufacturers were just as quick to cash in on the popularity of the sølje.

Trev.

[volpone]

Very interesting page of advertising - but is it possible the Unverfehrt was importing the soljes? The page is titled "Original Norwegian Filigree Jewelry."

[dognose]

Hi Volpone,

Yes, that may possibly be the case, but this full page advertisement appeared in a German trade journal and in colour (slightly), the journal in question, I forget the name, but can find it if you're interested, is nearly all in black in white, with just a couple or so coloured pages. Richard Unverferth was a large manufacturer of jewellery, and it appears to me that such an outstanding advertisement in a trade journal would more likely indicate a maker, rather than an importer. As for the "Original Norwegian Filigree Jewelry." title, perhaps they were referring to the design?

Regards, Trev.

[volpone]

That is also entirely possible.

Just over the past few days, though, I have been researching a set of Marius Hammer spoons that bear not only his marks, but also those of Henry James Hulbert along with London import marks. Hulbert himself was also a prolific silversmith, but seems to have sponsored quite a lot of Norwegian imports. I wonder if there may be others, like Unververth, that may have done likewise.

Please don't take this as my being argumentative, I simply find the subject and its possibilities fascinating. Here are some pictures of the above-mentioned spoons, for comparison/consideration:

[dognose]

Please don't take this as my being argumentative

Not at all! It is by debating and sharing thoughts, that we often get the answer of the questions that interest us.

Had you seen this post from just last month?: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=29432&p=72485

I'll try and find that trade journal online, hopefully it may provide some clues within the German text.

Trev.

[volpone]

Thanks, Trev. If you need help deciphering the German text, let me know - it is my second native language.

[dognose]

If you have the opportunity to trawl through these two journals, they are available in the States via google books:

Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung, Volume 6 - 1903

Goldschmiedekunst, Volume 24 - 1903

In the meantime, I came across this advertisement:


Alex Maseberg - Düsseldorf - 1902

Trev.

[volpone]

Thank you for the information, I will definitely go poke around!

[Madhatterrus]

Hi all,

One learns something everyday, thank you Trev for posting these interesting ad pages. I have a solje brooch that I always thought was by Marius Hammer as I've seen an absolutely identical brooch marked by MH. Mine has no maker's mark, just a 830S hallmark. Now that I come across this thread, it turns out my brooch may be not even Norwegian? Not that I'll like it less knowing this but I'm just being curios :) Is there any way to tell Norwegian and German pieces apart?

[volpone]

The 830S fineness marking would seem to indicate Norwegian manufacture; I have not seen a Hammer piece quite like that, although it is similar to his style; perhaps Clement Berg might be a possibility?

Also, I am still not convinced that the German retailers were not actually marketing and selling Norwegian-made pieces.

[Madhatterrus]

The 830S fineness marking would seem to indicate Norwegian manufacture; I have not seen a Hammer piece quite like that, although it is similar to his style; perhaps Clement Berg might be a possibility?

Also, I am still not convinced that the German retailers were not actually marketing and selling Norwegian-made pieces.

How likely is it that Norwegians and Hammer especially did not bother about maker's marks? I've no idea about their policies at the time, to be honest. Would be interesting to know. For instance, did they mark all pieces made at a workshop?

As for the Germans, all books I've read on Pforzheim jewellery mentioned they copied the French extensively, but I've never seen any reference to Norwegian copies. Really interesting for me to see the ads, no matter if they're for re-selling or copying.