Antique pin

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Elsa Pieterse, May 3, 2021.

  1. Elsa Pieterse

    Elsa Pieterse Active Member

    Goodday everyone.

    I found this old pin marked Moria? 5.2.1901
    Can anyone help with some information. I am stumped. I don't even know if this is the correct category for this item...

    Regards.
    Elsa PicsArt_05-03-08.05.45.jpg PicsArt_05-03-08.06.05.jpg PicsArt_05-03-08.06.25.jpg
     
    Elsa Pieterse, May 3, 2021
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  2. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

    Does it say Moira? Girls name.Difficult to see, can you give it a gentle clean?
     
    KSW, May 3, 2021
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  3. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    I think it says Maria and the fastening at the back is protruding through the front making the "a" look like an "o"

    pin.PNG

    pin2.PNG
     
    daveydempsey, May 3, 2021
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  4. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    Looking at your location, and the date 1901, I would say this is probably a memorial / mourning brooch for a victim of the Boer War.
     
    daveydempsey, May 3, 2021
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  5. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Elsa, does it feel like wood? Or do you have 'bog oak' jewellery in SA?
    Could you show us a side view where that one piece is broken off?
     
    Any Jewelry, May 3, 2021
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    Elsa Pieterse, NewEngland, KSW and 1 other person like this.
  6. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    Moria is an abbreviation for memento moria. That means remembrance in Latin.
     
    Ownedbybear, May 3, 2021
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  7. Elsa Pieterse

    Elsa Pieterse Active Member

    Hi there. I don't know 'bog oak' jewelry . I took some more pics. I hope this helps. The material does resemble wood. PicsArt_05-03-04.53.50.jpg PicsArt_05-03-04.54.18.jpg
     
    Elsa Pieterse, May 3, 2021
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  8. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Except it's memento mori, a reminder that death is always near. It looks like bog oak to me & wonder if it's not a simple souvenir for a girl named Maria.
     
    Bronwen, May 3, 2021
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  9. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    There's also memento moria, which is remembrance. ;) Long time since I did Latin but some stuck. I've seen pieces here with just moria, and you get it on tombstones. (Now channelling Lord of the Rings. )
     
    Ownedbybear, May 3, 2021
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  10. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Agree, it is bog oak.

    If Maria was a victim in the Boer War, I wonder if the staunchly Dutch Reformed Church Boers would have had a remembrance brooch made for her.
    I know similar conservative Protestants here in the Netherlands would think it far too flamboyant. Maybe even arrogant to commemorate a mere mortal (idolatry?), and with a piece of jewellery, of all things.
    The ancestors of the Boers were Protestants who left several European countries to get away from anything that reeked of this kind of thing, among other things.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2021
    Any Jewelry, May 3, 2021
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