Bare Essentials Modernistic Inspired Brooch by: Yvonne
Thank You Nanalie for your very interesting contributions!
Vince, (box aside) ... with its pared down simplicity and distinct Christian female theme....
I'm leaning towards Modern. No febrile swirls hinting of Art Nouveau or any Rococo tracery of Edwardian style. Modernism- born in the 1920s, and neo-modern design afterwards, is a rejection of the past and the modern aesthetic embraces hard-edged, clean and pared-down-to-purity design concepts. In an attempt to bring her equal status with men, Mariology, (the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus) would have lended support. The item could be religious souvenir jewelry, as Nanlie mentions, mass produced for tourists.
From the 1930s onwards - no amount of lovingly crafted pseudo Gothic objects created in medieval-inspired guilds and workshops could meet the demands of a world hungry for cheap consumer durables.
Having attended my 1st through 8th grade classes in a Roman Catholic School,... from what I can see this is the Blessed Virgin Mary. If it is stamped 925 or SS, it could have been an award or sold in the Church store... And it could have been given to a child making first communion. I am going to be 70 years of age in February so while you might find it hard to locate these kinds of momentos currently, they were very prevalent during my youth. I also had the opportunity in the late seventies to visit Rome and Vatican City. This kind of medal, pins, and rings were being sold all over the surrounding grounds of the Vatican... I have a couple of medals for chains and a pin with the same genre but not identical and I found them in my mother's jewelry box after her death in 2010.
