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Sold for: £28
A trio of sterling silver and niellowork jewellery items featuring traditional Thai motifs. The lot comprises a hinged bangle, a circular brooch, and a single stud earring. Each piece is decorated using the niello technique, where a black metallic sulphide alloy is inlaid into engraved silver to create a dark background for the polished silver or gold-coloured figures. The circular brooch depicts a mythological deity-like figure in traditional dress holding a bow and arrow. The hinged bangle features a continuous frieze of multiple figures and foliate decorative motifs around its exterior. The reverse of the brooch is impressed with a central stamp reading SIAM STERLING in two lines of capital letters; to the right of this are three further small hallmarks which are not clearly legible. The interior of the bangle is impressed with an identical SIAM STERLING mark, as is the reverse of the earring. The bangle is fitted with a lateral hinge and a safety chain attached to the clasp.
Condition report:
The pieces show signs of significant wear and age. The bangle displays heavy tarnish to the interior (photo 7) and surface scratches and loss to the niello finish on the exterior (photos 5 and 6). The brooch exhibits surface scratching and tarnish on the reverse (photo 3) and some dulling of the finish on the front (photo 2). The earring post is slightly bent, and the metal shows surface tarnish (photo 4). No other visible faults were observed.
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