a rare model of an owl in flight, its wings, body and face all lavishly set with old European cut diamonds, the eyes mounted with cabochon cat’s eye chrysoberyl, set in chased silver and rose gold.

A detachable brooch fitting to the reverse, accompanied by an original hair comb fitting. Presented in its original tooled leather case with purple velvet cushion, the lid satin stamped ‘Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, 112 Regent St, London.’

Length: 12.3cm

Illustrated:

See page 53 of ‘Victorian Jewellery: A Complete Compendium of over four thousand pieces of Jewellery‘ (Hinks, 1992) for a reproduction of a 1901 Goldsmiths and Silversmiths catalogue which advertises the owl, reference number 21,496. It cost the princely sum of £145 and was listed as both a brooch and hair ornament.