As the sun rose today, I got a Sunday morning urge to do some antiquing. With my hat, flip-flops and sunblock in place off I went in search of whatever I would find. When I attend these shows, I almost never go with an agenda. There’s more fun to be had when hunting and meeting up with the unexpected. And in truth I’ve rarely, if ever, found exactly what I was looking for. The best part about shows, flea markets and tag sales are the surprises, the people, and the lovely little tales to tell later on.

The dealers were in full force and ready for the crowds. Unfortunately for them and fabulous for me, the lot wasn’t full of browsers at nine am. So I strolled up and down the aisles just to get a general sense of what the dealers brought. More than anything there was costume jewelry –and tons of huge brooches! Czech crystal pieces with large, luminous stones were everywhere as was Victoriana. Rolled gold bracelets, taille d’epergne (black line) enamel earrings, and Bohemian garnet jewelry all seemed to be among the better pieces I saw in the cases. Jewelry from the last quarter of the nineteenth century jewelry appears to be the most plentiful among the antique genres. It has a certain look that is clearly identifiable: a rosy hued metal usually accompanied by a few intricate details and/or small colorful gems. The smaller items, like pins or rings, when grouped together offer a whimsical, eclectic look that works well with casual clothes like jeans or little sundresses.

At night, I’d wear an abundance of examples with black because Victorian jewelry is expressive and dissimilar pieces, when blended together, create drama that is a tapestry of textures. Gold Victorian earrings are a sophisticated accessory for semi-formal lunches or meeting for work; they always stir up conversation and add depth to your professional persona.
I stopped by one booth and saw this Kingfisher feather brooch. I have to admit that it was love at first sight. The price was ok (a little more than $100) considering its condition was only fair to good. However, this type of jewelry is rare to find here in the United States.

Although there was quite a bit of loss to the piece, its character was intact and the balance of color between the metal and the irridescent blue of the feathers made it all the more attractive to me. When the ornament was new, the entire surface of the decoration would have been painstakingly covered in feathers. Kingfisher feathers are finer than hair and have to be applied with glue, by hand, to a silver gilt or brass surface. Each lovely floral urn is mounted on wire so that it moves, a technique in jewelry making termed, “en tremblant” or trembling.
The silver gilt in this particular piece is in very good condition as was the metal work. As for age, it is a little difficult to tell. Kingfisher feather ornaments are from China and in fact, the Chinese have been working in this art form for more than 2,000 years. Collectible pieces are of a more recent vintage –say from the last one hundred or so years. Ornaments made into hairpins, combs, brooches, and earrings, are sometimes accompanied by gems –the vibrant color combination of coral and Kingfisher blue is often seen in this jewelry.
Kingfisher feathers were used in decorative art work like screens and fans. The intricacy and workmanship of the compositions I found online were staggering. Tiaras were created for brides and the finest pieces were owned by royalty although even those whose means were less might own a small item. There is an excellent reference book on the subject by Beverly Jackson entitled Kingfisher Blue: Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art. It should be noted that the Kingfisher became nearly extinct due to the killing of these birds for their feathers. Production of the art ended by 1940. Unfortunately there are fakes that are being made now with turkey feathers; copies generally are less expensive and appear cheaply produced.

I also purchased a vintage Whiting and Davis handbag, circa 1970-ish. The gold frame has a Florentine finish and the mesh is enameled with a brown and black snakeskin-like print. I have a group of luncheon-and-lecture-appropriate white, taupe, brown, and black dresses to which the bag will lend a bit of the exotic. Its handstitched pale apricot satin lining was in perfect condition and I declared it a bargain at $35. So with sun on my shoulders and my wallet much lighter than when I arrived, my field trip was done. As I headed back to my car, I happily contemplated all the ways I will be accessorizing this summer…