Featured Creepy Clown Brooch Help

Hi,
I picked this up today, he looked creepy enough to be interesting. From searching around I have found a couple the same that say KJL for Hattie Carnegie. The ones I found are on pinterest and there are no photos showing the backs so I don't know if they are signed or blank like mine. There is a similar one on eBay, the back is the same as mine and it is unsigned. This is 2 1/2" x 1 1/4". I'm not sure about the face, there is some streaking of colour - would this be damage or the way it was made?
any information appreciated.
thanks for looking

 

I think the streaking is due to the way the plastic was molded.

 

He's rather bizarre looking. Can't decide if I like him or not. Interesting color choice they used.

 

thanks cluttered! lol, I know, he is bizarre looking I'm not a fan of clowns but I thought he was a bit different.

 

I think it is the pumpkin colored face against that mulberry, with the pear green. Weird coloring.

 

Here is one on Etsy that is marked. So maybe mine is a copy or fake?
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/486768520/vintage-signed-hattie-carnegie-blue?show_sold_out_detail=1

 

If yours is a fake it's a darned good one.
Yours


The one from the etsy link



The square holes appear to be placed in the exact same spots. Same amount of holes in each row, same amount of rows.
Where the red arrows are -all those lines are going in the same direction on both pins.

There are several things that could have happened.
Hattie Carnegie Co. bought the pin and marketed as theirs.
Or possibly they had a subsidiary company that also sold the brooch but not under the Hattie Carnegie label.
Or maybe yours is a second and they didn't mark it - Notice how the enamel on yours is up high near the gold.
Just thoughts.

 

Great thoughts Cluttered. And well stated.

As soon as I saw this was thinking "Hattie Carnegie". There was a whole period she was doing these figural colored plastic with rhinestones and enamel combinations. Rams, parrots, the iconic mermaid etc. Very bold pieces, a touch over the top back in the day. (1960's or so.) I've never seen a clown. Very cool, Cx. Good eye to pick it up.

I stretching my memory here, but recall multiple conversations on other HC figural pins on the old Ebay boards, questions about figural pins that were unsigned, often in different colors, but otherwise very close to the signed ones on the market. Not sure anyone ever came to a conclusion whether these were unsigned HC or from another maker. (Others may know for sure).

I do know that you see unsigned ones for sale frequently on Ebay and they do seem to sell, if priced right.

 

Thanks cluttered and Lucille
I found one this morning that says it is signed Ciner, the link goes nowhere though so I can't see the back. So maybe as cluttered says, this was made by someone else and then sold by other companies - I'll keep digging to see if I can find more.

I'm always drawn to creepy stuff, lol

 

I would not think Ciner. Maybe the ad was for another pin and got mixed up with the photo or something or the seller was mistaken. The clown is 100% Hattie Carnegie ...or Hattie Carnegie in style. Ciner is a well regarded high end company, they weren't copying Hattie Carnegie inch for inch as far as I know.

Not to say that Ciner didn't make some of these plastic figural pieces in the 60's, but the fact that you found that Etsy one with the HC signature almost certainly means this was her design originally. Did the link say it was "signed" Ciner? I mean I suppose there could be some overlap, but would surprise me.

P.S. I'm also drawn to odd/creepy things, Halloween tied w/Xmas for my favorite holiday.

 

You are right Lucille, the photo must have been mixed up with the ad - I found the original listing on worth point and it is another signed Hattie Carnegie pin.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-hattie-carnegie-coral-face-1850272584

 

cx -
Are the ones you are finding markd HC, the glittery enamel glaze? Notice the HC ones have the collar and hat in matching color.
Any in the two tone colors marked HC?

 

Here is another from Worthpoint, unsigned but has the glittery glaze with matching colours on the hat and collar. This also shows the Hattie Carnegie brooch in a book. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1960-smiling-clown-head-hattie-1808537741

The details you notice always amazes me Thank-you! In the comparison photo from the listing you can see the difference on the gold trim on the top of the collar.

 

Yeah used to bug the heck out of my son. I noticed everything.
Thanks for the compliment.


From the link that is on the page you provided

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-clown-set-figural-pins-prob-1822546541

Might be worth looking into Kenneth Lane.

 

I'll start tonight, maybe something will come to light on this brooch.

 

Nice find, Cluttered.

Not sure if this helps, here is a (toucan) brooch, saying "Unsigned Kenneth Jay Lane for Hattie Carnegie" which refers to a book that attributes it in that way.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/204632...th-jay-lane-for-hattie?show_sold_out_detail=1

As a side note, it may be a bit of a guessing game in the end. I've seen several discussions on these unsigned Hattie Carnegie pieces. The mermaid is the big one. Whether the unsigned ones were Hattie Carnegie's or another maker was never really resolved in any of the lengthy discussions I recall.

Let us know if anything turns up, CX. I think you would be within your rights to list saying, I believe this might be "KJL for Hattie Carnegie".

P.S. Have enjoyed this thread. One of my first big scores when I was just learning about jewelry was a set of 3 Hattie Carnegie figurals, for $2 each at a garage sale. This thread is bringing back nice memories of that find. Spotted the ones I had now selling for over $250 -- as I recall I sold mine for around $149 each, this was in the early 90s.

 

@Lucille.b
This quote is from the link you posted:

“Shamelessly: Jewelry from Kenneth Jay Lane by Nancy Schiffer, which confirms that it was designed by Kenneth Jay Lane in the early 1960’s when he was the head designer for Hattie Carnegie.”

Interesting, I didn't know he had worked for Hattie Carnegie.

Wonder if a designer could take their designs with them when they left a company. That's what some of the glass people did with their pattern designs. Took their pattern designs to a different glass house and the new glass house produced the pattern with a slight modification. Not always, but sometimes.

 

Thanks for the link Lucille! Yes, I'm coming across pieces that say the same, so maybe not all pieces were signed.

Woo Hoo, that is a great return for your $2 each - oh to have those finds everyday

here is some information on him, he worked for Dior also
http://www.antiquingonline.com/Designers/KennethJLane.htm

 

that is an interesting question cluttered - who owned the design?
thanks for your help Lucille and cluttered, this is interesting trying to figure this piece out