Beschreibung:

A silver and aquamarine brooch and earstud suite by Sah Oved, of cast silver, fully modelled as a satyr and two putti cavorting on a rocky outcrop formed by a rough mica crystal and a curved line of four variously cushion, round and oval cut aquamarines, with one putto at the top holding a pendant briolette aquamarine, worked on the back with engraved leaf details, clasp with safety slide, hand engraved on the base 'S to M, 18.4.68', length 6.1cm; the earstuds each with an emerald cut aquamarine in hand-modelled and carved leaf embellished collet, length 1.4cm; in a presentation circular wooden box prepared by Sah Oved herself with hand sewn lining and reproduction print on the lid of a Renaissance northern European jeweller's workshop. Sah Oved (1900-1983) was known by different names during her life, but was born Gwendoline Ethel Rendle in Devon; she studied under John Paul Cooper, a leading metalworker and jeweller in the Arts and Crafts movement, setting up in 1924 as 'Maker of Jewels' according to her business card - from which she took the print she applied to the box lid of the present item. Soon she discovered Cameo Corner, the renowned Aladdin's cave of jewels and objects d'art owned by Mosheh Oved, a Polish Zionist immigrant, who wrote, 'England gave birth to a girl, and one spring brought her into my life. She had studied and practised the art of jewellery, was very studious and industrious, and had mastered her trade....She immediately began to create masterpieces in gold...Her I named Ahaviel, the Love of God.' He was fifteen years her senior and indissolubly married. She changed her name and they spent the next three decades together, including a venture in Palestine in the late 1930's, returning to London before the War, to re-establish Cameo Corner. Mosheh wrote two autobiographical books, eccentric, episodic and supremely poetic; he died in 1958. They had one daughter, Yemaiel, who was sculpted, as they both were, by their friend Jacob Epstein In the 1960's Sah, now known as Doline, finally, to her delight, married - the Cambridge architect Hugh Hughes and they lived in Grantchester. She continued to create beautiful one-off pieces of jewellery, contributing several items to The International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery at Goldsmith's Hall in 1961, but was never prolific. There is one of her necklaces in the V&A, and another in Westminster Abbey. She remained a very private person; although she had her own punch with the Assay Office, she seldom marked or signed any of her creations. Provenance: The vendor was a neighbour of Sah Oved's in Grantchester in the 1960's, when Sah, now in her personal life called Doline (presumably from Gwendoline) was married to the architect Hugh Hughes; the vendor's father had been for many years an enthusiastic purchaser of jewellery from Cameo Corner, so knew both Sah and Mosheh Oved; this suite was comissioned from Sah for his wife's 54th birthday, hence the inscription, from Sidney to Marian with the date. Estimate £2,000-4,000