Featured Today's find: cannetille or Filigree? brooches help please

Hi Folks,
Today I found two similar brooches made of silver tone metal which seem to me cannetile (or filigree?) with black reflecive rhinestones. As it is not something you often come across here, I am puzzled with their style - is it Victorian? Any suggestions about their age? The second one has had dangling stones (I think) now missing, and also has been a little smashed.

Thank you for looking and any answer is very much appreciated!

 

I would say made in Czechoslovakia, and not that old...maybe fifties? some other people will know more

 

Thank you, Dessert58! It makes sense to be Czechoslovakian from this period, I am aware it is not old (there is no way to be vintage Victorian given the place where it was found) but I wonder what style it was made to resemble. So Czechs had made Victorian-like jewelry or it is not Victorian in style? Is it filigree or cannetille?
Or Art Deco?

 

Hello IvanPan, filigree is a technique in which a metal wire is soldered to form a pattern. I have no idea what cantenille is...although it reminds me of Chantilly lace, which would make sense in its own because they try to make the metal look lace-like.
I think people use both terms to describe this type of technique.
Its not art deco. To me, its just Czech- neo style but some other people will definitely know more.

 

Filgree is generally flat, cannetile is 3D. So those coils and knops are more akin to cannetile. Bit like some bullion embroidery.

Those could be Czech, could also be German, you get ornate backs on both. Victorian revival.

 

with all those hooks , the bottom one was more likely on a necklace.....then became a brooch...

 

Thank you, Dessert58, much appreciated! Have never heard of Chantilly lace but will Google it. Sounds logical though, to derive the term cannetille from it. So, it can be assumed that Czech is a style by itself

Thanks, Ownedbybear, very useful distinction between the two, appreciate it. I am a fan of classifications and nomenclatures, so I will classify it as Czech or German Victorian revival style, cannetile work, around 1950s.

It well might be, thanks, Komokwa!

 

hummmm.....looking at it upside down......maybe it was a brooch......missing dangles...

 

That's a pretty fair summary. They might be a bit earlier, but it's close enough.

 

It is ajour, and I'm with the others, it looks Czech.
The ajour (open work) has been punched, the details are not hand made like in filigree or cannetille.

The word cannetille is French, but it is derived from the Spanish cañutillo (said to be of Arabic origin), a small tube.
Cannetille is a sub-type of filigree, and the term is used for more raised circular elements that together make up a design.
There is no relation between cannetille and delicate floral Chantilly lace.

An example of cannetille, raised designs made by wire tubes (cañutillos), each tube is bent around a granule to create a round element:



There are three of those elements on every arm of the cross, one dangling just below the cross, and one at the very bottom. Those are the actual cannetilles.

The Dutch nickname for those cannetille elements is 'spinnetjes', which means 'little spiders'. They are used a lot in Dutch jewellery. A lot!
So if you see handmade wire work that looks like a tiny spider (with a lot of legs), you're looking at cannetille.
So tiny spiders = cannetille.

 

Thanks, Any, punctual and knowledgeable as usual. And very helpful! I take note of the elements and techniques you pointed out as characteristics of different styles.
One question - how do you distinguish if an element is handmade or machine made? The only clue I have is when it looks not so properly done or symmetrical but I have seen examples (like your cross) where they are very skilfully done. Is there any other mark of being handmade?
P.S. So the brass bracelet of my Mom should be kind of cannetille then - there are those tiny spiders that bulge above the surface. Only not handmade.

 

One of the signs is that with handmade cannetille you can distiguish every single wire loop. It also looks more delicate than machine made.
Machine made cannetille is more 'massive', the tiny spiders look more solid and are one with the background and the central granule.
Experience will help, and in time you'll see it in a single glance.

Correct!

 

Thank you so much!!! You are soooo helpful!