Featured Damascene tie clip

Found this on a market stall earlier. I think it's a tie clip but seems a bit short. 26mm

 

1950s-1960s.

Debora

 

does seem a bit short in length for a tie clip, but there are examples of shorter clips, ties do vary in width as well, used to love me a skinny mod tie

only other thought is a money clip ?

 

Thank you

 

Yeah. It was the fashion at high school to show the thin end of the tie. Never thought of it as a mod thing. Just a bit non conformist.

 

a lot skinnier in the 50s/60s, then exact opposite in the 70s



my mate at school did that tie thing though, hid the wide part and just had the skinny part showing

 

Looks to be fashioned after menuki, decorative metal pieces bound into a Japanese sword grip. I wonder if there's any chance that it is a re-purposed piece of menuki.

 

the decoration kinda does look more from japan way

 

Cranes.

Debora

 

Yes definitely has a Japanese look. Also looks like it has gone a few rounds in a workshop. Could be right

 

Yes, it is Japanese damascene.

Very unlikely, but there is a link. After the samurai katanas etc were no longer made, the damascene makers switched to making jewellery and accessories.

 

Some nice knowledge learned here. It was worth the £1 spent.

 

Japanese damscene jewelry was a big thing in the 50s and 60s. They made a pile in all sorts of shapes and sizes, because they could turn a buck with it and use old skills into the bargain.

 

The Japanese damascene is called Zogan inlay and has a number of techniques. I attended a class for nunome zogan a number of years......

 

What materials are involved in your photo?

 

It was steel and fine silver foil.

 

Ah okay. Bit of a niche class to find. Must have been interesting.

 

Reed & Barton did a lot of Damascene jewelry, probably on the era mentioned. Toledo did a bunch too I think.

 

Reed & Barton made some jewelry resembling Toledoware, i.e. enamel jewelry.