This is an unusual and detailed pendant by J. Tostrup of Norway in sterling silver and enamel featuring a plumed rooster perched on a crescent moon surrounded by a garland of swags and tiny leaves.
There are twelve leaves arranged like numbers on a clock which together with the rooster and moon make me wonder if the design is meant to symbolize “time”.
The details have been ‘carved’ into the silver, like guilloche, with the cockerel having a sun ray pattern spreading out from its back. The cockerel and swags are enamelled a rich almost irridescent blue while the leaves are gold with tiny veins (see close up). The rest of the pendant is black and the whole seems to have a clear enamel finish.
The enamel area is rimmed in plain silver surrounded by a fancy textured border with a leaf-and-flower design. The pendant has a sizeable (big enough for cord) fixed bale with dainty beading and is 3.9 cm high and and 2.7 cm wide (1.5″ x 1 1/16″) not including the loop for the bale.
The back of the pnedant is plain and marked NM for “Norsk Monster” (Norwegian indication of a reg’d design) above the J. Tostrup maker’s mark and 925S for sterling silver. From the 925 silver standard (as opposed to 830) and design, I would date the pendant to the 1920s – a transition piece between Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
It is is in good to very good vintage condition. On close inspection there are three or so thin, shallow surface scratches which are not generally noticeable. I tried to capture them in the last pic by angling to the light so they look like thin white hairs (e.g. to the right of the crescent) but they are not actually white – this is just the light catching them; they are black. There is no other damage to the enamel or silver – any other odd looking spots or pale areas are reflections. It has not been cleaned.
