What have I got here?

[Panache]

wsk,

Nice pin!

It looks to me like the long lost "Eye of Shivata" from the "Temple of Brahmapurian". Said to have been spewed from the eternal fires at the creation of the world it is supposed to give the wearer special powers... On the other hand it could just be a really neat accesory for your kilt ;)

Barry,

Brilliant!

Panache, looks like you've got competition!

Rex,

My ninja have been dispatched to England to deal with the problem.

Ciao Barry

Cheers

[Brasilikilt]

At first glance it looks like it came out of the Himalayas......Indian Tibetan or Nepalese, something about the color scheme more than the designs themselves.
The good thing about a kilt is that it would have to shrink an incredible amount before it would even come close to hurting your twig and berries
Very nice find

[PiobBear]

"the maker's mark on the back: four stamps: an 'L' in gothic script, an anchor, a lion, and the initials "R.Bs"."

It's English, from early in the Arts & Crafts Period. The lion passant is the British Standard hallmark indicating .925 sterling silver. The anchor is a City hallmark, indicating that it was manufactured in Birmingham, England. The "L" is a date letter; my guess without seeing it is that it's actually a lower-case Gothic L in an oval, which would mean it was manufactured in 1885 (lower case Roman L in a square; 1910) . The "R.Bs" is the maker's mark.

[wsk]

Thanks PiobBear, your info led me to http://www.925-1000.com/british_marks.html which does show the Birmingham hallmark.

The date mark on the brooch is definitely lower case gothic, not roman. However, the shield is a rectangle with chamfered corners; not an oval. There is a note on the Birmingham page stating that "the shape of the shield cartouche around the City Mark and Standard Mark generally change to match the shield around the Date Letter Mark". Such is the case with this piece. So, if one is to believe the Date Mark Letter, then the brooch was made in 1885. But, if the shield shape must also be oval, then, I don't know.

Unfortunately, the Maker's Mark is not listed.

After the holiday, I'll get my co-worker, who has the appropriate equipment, to photograph the back of the brooch so you can see what the hallmarks look like.

There is a forum at 925-1000.com where I will also pursue this. I'll report back with anything I learn.

Thanks again.

[PiobBear]

They used both ovals and clip-cornered rectangles in the 1880's. If it is indeed a Gothic lower-case L, I'd still go with 1885. Here's a list of Birmingham date marks.

It's a really nice piece; it'd make a great kilt pin (too small to be a plaid brooch); very different than the usual Scottish themed jewelry common during the Romantic period, evocative of the old solar or Celtic cross, and the geometric patterns and bright colors of Celtic art from before the Reformation and asceticism of John Knox, lightly accented with the floral style of Victorian engraving.

[wsk]

Wow! You are a fount of knowledge. Now I'm almost afraid to wear it for fear of loosing or damaging it. Because it is old I had thought to wear it with a plaid (if I ever were to get that formal) so that it would be less susceptible to damage. But now I'll at least wear on my kilt while visiting friends this afternoon.

In that list of Birmingham date marks, for the dates 1875-1890, there is another mark besides the lion and anchor. My brooch doesn't have that mark. Is it a mark that may be, or must be, found with the others?

If you will permit me to be blunt, how is it that you know all of this stuff?

Thanks.

[PiobBear]

"Now I'm almost afraid to wear it for fear of loosing or damaging it. Because it is old I had thought to wear it with a plaid (if I ever were to get that formal) so that it would be less susceptible to damage. But now I'll at least wear on my kilt while visiting friends this afternoon."

My plaid brooches are big; 3" across. If it were mine, I'd wear it on special occasions, and take particular care; not only for the stone and enamel work (or loosing it completely), but because a snagged kilt pin can damage or tear the apron of your kilt.

"In that list of Birmingham date marks, for the dates 1875-1890, there is another mark besides the lion and anchor. My brooch doesn't have that mark. Is it a mark that may be, or must be, found with the others?"

From 1784 to 1890 a tax stamp was required; an oval cartouche of the head in profile of the reigning monarch at the time. Small items of the time might not have it, but big things (plates, flatware, teapots, etc.) certainly would. The only marks that must be there are the Standard, City, Date, and Maker's. If any of the four aren't there, it's not sterling silver; probably Sheffield silver or silverplate.

"how is it that you know all of this stuff?"

I'm a piper; it's not uncommon for high-end bagpipes to be fitted with sterling silver. If it's sterling, it's hallmarked; lion passant for England, thistle or lion rampant for Scotland, or harp for Ireland. Once you described the hallmarks, it was either English or Scottish, and it didn't look Scottish. From there it was easy to look up.

[AnimalK]

Hmmmm.....shiny.

[wsk]

Hmmmm.....shiny.

My ex-wife called such things "sparklies".

[wsk]

I'm a piper; ... it was easy to look up.

Well, PiobBear, methinks that you are being much too modest.

... very different than the usual Scottish themed jewelry common during the Romantic period, evocative of the old solar or Celtic cross, and the geometric patterns and bright colors of Celtic art from before the Reformation and asceticism of John Knox, lightly accented with the floral style of Victorian engraving.

Surely one who can write with such knowledge and assurance must have more under his glengarry than he admits. What you have written here is not the result of a mere google search but rather bears the hallmark (pun very much intended) of one who knows something.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. My little bauble was much admired today - the more so because you have helped me put a little history to it.