Costume Jewelry Book Concentrates On Fun

BOOK REVIEW

Rhinestone Jewelry Figurals, Animals and Whimsicals is the latest book by Marcia “Sparkles” Brown. Her previous books, Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry and Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry volumes I & II, concentrated on the beauty of costume jewelry. This book concentrates on the fun that costume jewelry can provide.

The introductory pages of the book contain some excellent advice -much of it good advice for any collector and all of it necessary if you are going to buy costume jewelry and be sure you are getting value received.

For example, know a little bit about the history of the world as it pertains to jewelry making. If a piece claims to be a 100-year-old “Made in Czechoslovakia” piece, be alert. Czechoslovakia didn't exist as a country until after World War I.

 Some companies that were in business in the past are either still in business or back in business. One of these is Tortolani, which has been revived by the family. Their new pieces of jewelry have a burr, or pimple, following the name on the back side, to distinguish the old from the new.

Knowing the fads of the mid-20th century can help you date a piece. In the 1940s, horse jewelry and butterflies were both fads. Costume jewelry in these motifs could be found in most women’s jewelry boxes. Sweet­ heart jewelry, featuring hearts, was also popular during the 1940s, especially during the World War II years.

Charm bracelets were the big thing in the 1950s. And especially popular were the sterling silver charms that had movable parts. Ballerinas danced their way into jewelry boxes through the 1960s.

The knowledgeable introductory material is followed by just under 300 pages of examples of fun costume jewelry, beautifully photographed by Marcia’s husband, the late Ken Brown. From “Chili Pepper Pete,” with his red pepper guns and earrings, to a Kenneth Lane beetle, with three shades of green rhinestones on its wings and neck and blue baguettes on its head and body, you can only smile at these wonderful examples of rhinestone jewelry. (There are also many examples of pieces that do not contain rhinestones, including some in plastic and silver.)

Rhinestone Jewelry Figurals, Animals and Whimsicals is published by Collector Books. It includes a price guide and sells for $24.95.

Donna Miller

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Cream Direct From The Cow (Creamer)

BOOK REVIEW

The most recent book by authors Debbie and Randy Coe is Animal Pitchers, a price guide published by Schiffer Publishing. These pitchers, produced by numerous ceramics manufacturers in the shapes of animals, were made for everyday use, either as part of a creamer and sugar set or in larger sizes to serve water or juice.

Some collectors specialize in just one type of animal pitcher, with those in the shape of cows probably being the most common. These have been made for hundreds of years, and have traditionally been used to serve milk or cream at the table.

However, once a collector becomes hooked on these small pitchers, they usually find they extend their collection to include other animals, too. This book pictures over 30 different animals used as pitchers, from alligators to yaks. They are shown in more than 200 color photographs.

Many of the American pottery companies that are popular with collectors made them, including American Bisque, Blue Ridge, Brayton Laguna, McCoy, Shawnee, Hull and Lenox. They were made in many other countries, also. You’ll find them from England, Germany, Mexico, Holland, Taiwan, Italy, Japan and just about every other country that made pottery.

Whether you’re looking for a goat or a giraffe  in the shape of a pitcher, you’ll probably find it pictured in this book. And for the most part, these pitchers are still quite inexpensive. While a few top the $100 mark, most are valued at under $25 and quite a few are less than $10.

Animal Pitchers, with Price Guide, by Debbie & Randy Coe, is priced at $19.95. For an autographed copy, contact Coe’s Mercantile, PO Box 173, Hillsboro, OR 97123 or visit their web site: www.coesmercantile.com. If ordering from the authors, please include $2 for shipping and insurance.

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Hopi Carvers Still Producing Kachinas

BOOK REVIEW

Contemporary Hopi carvers of the Southwest are creating beautifully carved and painted wooden kachina dolls. They are showcased in Contemporary Hopi Kachina Dolls, by Nancy N. Schiffer.

Kachina dance ceremonies are conducted in a regular cycle, with the start of the cycle being the winter solstice, December 21 of each year. They proceed on a regular schedule until after the summer solstice, June 21. Following the final one, the Home Dance, or Niman, in July, the Hopi ceremonies for the remainder of the year are conducted without kachinas.

The paint colors represent specific directions to the Hopi carver: yellow is north; blue or green, west; red, south, white, east; black above; and grey or multi-colored, below.

The kachinas in pictured in this book are grouped according to what they represent. These include weather and natural forces spirits, women, animals, birds, plants, insets and reptiles, and clowns.

Actually, the clowns are not kachinas, but comic actors who influence Hopi ceremonies. Many times they illustrate improper behavior and demonstrate outrageous humor in the ceremonies. They are very popular with carvers and very entertaining figures for the collector.

Another figure illustrated in the book are two versions of Mouse. He's neither a clown nor a kachina, but represents a legend. Mouse decided to get rid of a bothersome chicken hawk. He baited the hawk and lured him to dive toward a kiva (the ceremonial chamber for religious activities,) and impale himself on the ladder pole, thus ending the legend. He is sometimes known as Warrior Mouse, out of respect for his deed.

The book identifies 275 kachinas by maker, and includes descriptive information for most. It is not a price guide, however. Contemporary Hopi Kachina Dolls sells for $39.95. It is available from bookstores, online at www.schifferbooks.com or order from Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310. (Please add $3.95 if ordering from the publisher.)

Donna Miller

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