Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Jewelled Pencil Case, 1880-1900

Pencil Case
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  

I thought, given today is, naturally, associated with all things Irish, I'd show you some objects which relate to Ireland and, in this case, shamrocks.

This sparkling beauty dates between 1880 and 1890 and is a masterpiece of chased gold, rose-cut diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and an opal. The work of an unknown maker, it most assuredly comes from Britain. Though quite sceptre-like, it is actually a case for a pencil. The case is chased and engraved with a rose, a thistle and a shamrock--emblems of the United Kingdom. Even after over a century, the case still contains two spare nibs and three pencil lead fragments.

This oppulent object has been thought to have been made from jewels belonging to King George IV. These jewels may have been worn during George’s 1821 coronation.

Mastery of Design: The Clockwork Peacock Brooch, c. 1880

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This would never be considered the finest jewel I’ve ever written about. But, it’s cute and it does stuff. An inexpensive brooch, this is a great example of the cheaper, mass produced jewelry that was within the financial means of the middle and lower classes. This sort of novelty with a clockwork mechanism was meant to be worn for fun more so than fashion.

You see, the peacock’s tail feathers , when the mechanism is wound, revolve. This bauble of a gilded copper alloy is set with paste and adorned with bright enamel. Made in Germany in 1880-1890, it’s a miracle that this brooch survives in working condition. 

Unusual Artifacts: The George Robey Toby, c. 1930

Toby Jug
Royal Doulton, 1930
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This earthenware Toby Jug features a bowler hat as a lid. This is among a popular line of Toby Jugs which was manufactured in the 1930s and based on music hall performers.  This example is modeled on George Robey (1869–1954), who is considered one of Britain’s most successful music hall comedians--a master of comic songs, caricatures and sketches, who became known as “the Prime Minister of Mirth.”

George Robey was known for his trademark stage appearance, a costume which is captured in this jug - a long collarless frock coat, a semi-clerical bowler hat, a walking stick and enormous black eyebrows which he raised quizzically to “great comic effect.”

This glazed earthenware jug  boasts a pale green handle and base, and depicts George Robey, dressed in his usual black suit, a white shirt and a red spotted handkerchief, and carrying a cane under his left arm. His nose is glazed in a reddish hue and he has his trademark crescent-shaped eyebrows. The plinth of the toby bears the incised inscription “GEORGE ROBEY” and the initials “AHCH.F.F.RA.”  It was made in Stoke-on-Trent, England by Royal Doulton.

And, yes, for the last twenty minutes I've been muttering "Robey Toby, Robey Toby, Robey Toby..."

Figure of the Day: Conquer or Die, 1830

Conquer or Die
Staffordshire, England
C. 1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Staffordshire figure group of lead-glazed earthenware is adorned with enamel colors. The group of a man and a woman appear to be fighting over a pair of breeches. They stand in front of a fireplace with a large clock above. Plaques on either side of the seen read: “Conquer or Die” and “Who shall ware the breches (sic).”

This novelty piece refers to a familiar theme which was especially common in English and Dutch comic art as well as the theatre of the day…or, even, this day. 

Object of the Day: An Underwood and Underwood Stereoscope, 1891

As regular readers know, I’ve been collecting stereographs (the long photographic cards employed with stereoscopes to produce three dimensional images) for several months now. I’ve enjoyed the look of these stereo cards themselves. Their double images, often set in arched compositions, are neat glimpses into Victorian life. Seemingly identical, one image is actually slightly off-set so that, when observed through a viewer, the scene becomes three-dimensional.

Since I’ve a good many stereographs, I’ve been looking for a stereo viewer, or stereoscope, so that I could view the cards as they were meant to be seen. I’ve known what’s supposed to happen when you view the cards, but I’d not actually seen it in action. I’ve been looking and looking for one…and…

Image my surprise when I received a package from Ithaca, New York, specifically from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance as a gift of hospitality. As many of you know, several months ago, I was named “Fan of the Week” of the fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY. My gift from Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb—a trip to Ithaca. Tomorrow, I’ll be telling you all of the wonderful things I’ve learned about Ithaca, its residents and culture. But, for now, let’s stick with our stereoscope.

Amongst the goodies in the package from Ithaca was the stereoscope that I very much wanted. This one, made by Underwood and Underwood about 1891 gave me my first look into the 3-D novelties of the late Nineteenth Century. I love it! I spent an hour just gazing at cards and marveling at the detail which sprang to life. The viewer itself is actually a work of art, too. With its handsome profile and elegant curves, it’s a great representation of the work of its famous makers. 

Underwood & Underwood was founded in Ottawa, Kansas in the early 1880s. The company produced stereoscopes and stereoscopic images, and, later, were considered one of the earliest pioneers of American news photography.

Elmer (1859-1947) and Bert (1862-1943) Underwood started their stereo concern by selling their stereoscopes in Kansas, door-to-door. The novelty became so popular that by 1891, the brothers moved their headquarters to New York and soon they had established branches in Baltimore, London and Canada. By 1901, Underwood and Underwood was selling over 300,000 stereoscopes a year and manufacturing more than 25,000 cards a day. In 1920, the majority of the brothers’ catalog was sold to the Keystone View Company.

A similar stereoscope is located in the V&A. The model in the V&A, also by Underwood and Underwood, dates to about 1901 and features a stamped tin screen with a padded velvet rim to protect the face.

Unusual Artifacts: A Deceptive Glass, 1820-1830

Deceptive Glass or "Lick"
Britain, 1820-1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Long before people expected outrageously large servings, consumers were content with, in some cases, just a satisfying taste of a favorite treat. Take, for example, ice cream. In the early Nineteenth Century, ice cream and ices—especially those served at the seaside as a cooling treat—were not offered up in giant scoops, but were sold as a “lick.”

With the advent of new “ice cream making machines,” these frozen novelties were quite en vogue. But, people didn’t really want a whole bowlful. Instead, they wanted just enough to cool them off and give them a nice taste in their mouths. And, so, glasses such as this one—called “licks” or “deceptive glasses”—were commonly used by vendors at the beach and at fairgrounds.

While the glass looks as if it’s a normal drinking vessel, it’s not. It is, in fact, almost entirely solid glass. There’s only a modest indentation in the bowl which allows for a smear of ice cream to be applied by the vendor. This smear would be licked off and the glass returned to the vendor who would, in most cases not washing it first, apply another smear and sell it to the next customer.

The lick is constructed of solid leaded glass and makes for a rather attractive, sparklingly clear artifact. The vessel was made by hand and probably took two people at once to construct. 

Object of the Day: A Double-sided Stereograph

Click on image to be novel.

Made to be viewed in a stereoscope, a popular novelty of the Nineteenth Century, these cards feature side-by-side, off-set pictures which, when seen through the viewer, would appear as a 3-D image. A number of companies produced such cards and viewers. Every so often, as in this case, the stereographs were hand-colored.

I’m not sure who published this stereograph. There’s no mark whatsoever. What’s unusual about it is that it’s two sided. Prior to seeing these few which were recently added to my collection, I’d not come across other two-sided stereographs. Usually, this would have been prohibitive because of the intention curve given to most cards in order to produce the 3-D effect. Images on the back would have curved the wrong way and made a distorted image. However, this card is flat, allowing for a double-sided image. Since I don’t actually have a stereoscope, I can’t see how the flatness alters the dimension of the final image. 

The card boasts off-set images of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on one side and Spain’s Court of the Fishes at The Alhambra on the other. Such architectural images were popular themes for stereographs as they provided opportunities for visual depth.

You can click on this one, too.

Figure of the Day: Conquer or Die, 1830

Conquer or Die
Staffordshire, England
C. 1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Staffordshire figure group of lead-glazed earthenware is adorned with enamel colors. The group of a man and a woman appear to be fighting over a pair of breeches. They stand in front of a fireplace with a large clock above. Plaques on either side of the seen read: “Conquer or Die” and “Who shall ware the breches (sic).”

This novelty piece refers to a familiar theme which was especially common in English and Dutch comic art as well as the theatre of the day…or, even, this day. 

Mastery of Design: The "Mother" Brooch, 1916-1917

Brooch
Sterling Silver with applied gold adornment
1916-1917
Sydenham &Tebbitt, London
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries, silver novelty brooches like this one were considered sweet and fun gifts to be traded by female friends. These brooches often took the shape of flowers, cradles, rattles or other things which, at the time, were considered feminine objects. Frequently, the brooches were adorned with names which were characteristic of the period, such as “Florence,” "Victoria," “Maud,” "Louise," “Beatrice” and “Grace.” Sometimes, they would say, lie this one, “Mother” or “Baby” so that the pins could be given as gifts when a friend or relative had a child.

The majority of these brooches came from Birmingham England—at the time a large center of British jewelry-making. By 1913, it was speculated that nearly 80,000 people in Birmingham were employed in the jewelry trade.

These sterling novelty brooches were primarily made by the firm founded by George and Robert Sydenham and Claude Tebbitt. While the firm specialized in fine, gem-set and diamond jewelry, such novelty pieces introduced a steady and reliable income. While predominately silver, the brooches were sometimes accentuated by applied gold or gilt designs of flowers, birds or initials. Sydenham and Tebbitt offered customization, allowing a customer to pick individual elements to create a personalized piece.

Unusual Artifacts: The George Robey Toby, c. 1930

Toby Jug
Royal Doulton, 1930
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This earthenware Toby Jug features a bowler hat as a lid. This is among a popular line of Toby Jugs which was manufactured in the 1930s and based on music hall performers.  This example is modeled on George Robey (1869–1954), who is considered one of Britain’s most successful music hall comedians--a master of comic songs, caricatures and sketches, who became known as “the Prime Minister of Mirth.”

George Robey was known for his trademark stage appearance, a costume which is captured in this jug - a long collarless frock coat, a semi-clerical bowler hat, a walking stick and enormous black eyebrows which he raised quizzically to “great comic effect.”

This glazed earthenware jug  boasts a pale green handle and base, and depicts George Robey, dressed in his usual black suit, a white shirt and a red spotted handkerchief, and carrying a cane under his left arm. His nose is glazed in a reddish hue and he has his trademark crescent-shaped eyebrows. The plinth of the toby bears the incised inscription “GEORGE ROBEY” and the initials “AHCH.F.F.RA.”  It was made in Stoke-on-Trent, England by Royal Doulton.

And, yes, for the last twenty minutes I've been muttering "Robey Toby, Robey Toby, Robey Toby..."

Mastery of Design: The Clockwork Peacock Brooch, c. 1880

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This would never be considered the finest jewel I’ve ever written about.  But, it’s cute and it does stuff.  An inexpensive  brooch, this is a great example of the cheaper, mass produced jewelry that was within the financial means of the middle and lower classes. This sort of novelty with a clockwork mechanism was meant to be worn for fun more so than fashion.
 
You see, the peacock’s tail feathers , when the mechanism is wound, revolve.  This bauble of  a gilded copper alloy is set with paste and adorned with bright enamel.  Made in Germany in 1880-1890, it’s a miracle that this brooch survives in working condition.  

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Jewelled Pencil Case, 1880-1900

Pencil Case
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This sparkling beauty dates between 1880 and 1890 and is a masterpiece of chased gold, rose-cut diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and an opal. The work of an unknown maker, it most assuredly comes from Britain. Though quite sceptre-like, it is actually a case for a pencil. The case is chased and engraved with a rose, a thistle and a shamrock--emblems of the United Kingdom. Even after over a century, the case still contains two spare nibs and three pencil lead fragments.

This oppulent object has been thought to have been made from jewels belonging to King George IV. These jewels may have been worn during George’s 1821 coronation.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Electric Skull Stickpin, 1867

Stickpin
Gold, Diamonds, Enamel
Fitted with Electrical Terminals
French, 1867
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Well, this is bizarre. In all my years of collecting stickpins, I’ve never come across one like this. Which, I think, is good--because it’s scary. But, it’s the kind of scary that’s interesting.
So, here we have a stickpin of gold, enamel and diamonds. So far, not so odd. But, it’s in the form of a human skull. Okay, that’s a little more peculiar, but we should remember that the human skull has long been used symbolically in art to represent vanity.

Now, here’s the truly strange part. The jewel is fitted with electric terminals so that, when connected to a battery concealed in the wearer's pocket, the eyes roll and the jaws snap. That, I think, would be a little unnerving, but nonetheless captivating.

This is the work of French jeweler Auguste-Germain Cadet-Picard. Cadet-Picard was celebrated for the electrical pins that he made and showed at the Paris 1867 Exhibition. At this exhibition, his jewels, and other jewels with moving parts by different designers—were the main center of attention.

Few examples remain because—with their tiny moving parts—such jewels were prone to breaking. So, it’s good to see that this one survives in the Victoria & Albert Museum.