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Apelila: Chanel is lovely!


Here's my latest acquisition: It has a "Gumps designed by cini" plate on the back, but no metal content hall mark. Seller thought it might be sterling, but I'm not sure. I have no idea how old it is.

It actually caught my eye because it looks like a Native Hawaiian bird of a sort and I needed to have it and now I'm trying to think of where/who I could track down to help identify the bird.

If anyone knows/can point me in a right direction, I'd appreciate the help!

QweueU8.jpg


UpOsd0s.jpg
 
Apelila: Chanel is lovely!


Here's my latest acquisition: It has a "Gumps designed by cini" plate on the back, but no metal content hall mark. Seller thought it might be sterling, but I'm not sure. I have no idea how old it is.

It actually caught my eye because it looks like a Native Hawaiian bird of a sort and I needed to have it and now I'm trying to think of where/who I could track down to help identify the bird.

If anyone knows/can point me in a right direction, I'd appreciate the help!

QweueU8.jpg


UpOsd0s.jpg

Can't help with IDing the bird (though the beak looks like a hummingbird to me), but Cini typically worked in silver so I would guess it is sterling. They did a lot of work for Gumps but also just signed Cini or G. Cini. (You may already know Gumps was/is a high end San Francisco retailer which carried some unique and special pieces of jewellery -they were the first, I believe, to bring Antonio Pineda sterling pieces from Mexico to the US in a small, special show.) Cini is probably best known among vintage collectors for their Zodiac series.

Here is the same piece, recently sold (I have no affiliation with the seller):

https://www.rubylane.com/item/617360-RL001156/Gumpx27s-Designed-G-Cini-Bird-Brooch

I have one or two interesting Cini pieces I will try to post later; nice find!

ETA: Worthpoint identifies the bird as an I'iwi, aka the Hawaiian Honeycreeper:
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vtg-30s-guglielmo-cini-gumps-sterling-533940517
 
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Cini, an Italian firm, worked at least some in gold, because my 14 kt wedding ring was by Cini (a million years ago). Long time later, I had the Cini family's daughters recast it and create a new one from that earlier mold.
 
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Nice mistikat! Thank you! I would love to see your Cini pieces! They seem so detailed.

the first link you posted was the sale was to me! I was scrolling through sterling bird pins. Saw that one and knew I had to have it. Some honeycreepers do fill ecological niches like hummingbird types. Hawaii had an incredible amount of diversity in indigenous species since they evolved in such isolation, especially prior to human contact. So sad how many birds and plants have gone extinct or are endangered.

I'm not that familiar with G.Cini, but I know that there used to be a Gumps on Oahu and that he did a line of Hawaii inspired floral items. I kind of want the 'ulu brooch I've seen he did, but the ones I've come across have been so expensive. I had no idea he did birds, too till I saw that one. I'd love to know what other birds from Hawaii got immortalized that way.

I didn't think of the i'iwi because the beak was longer, but it could be. All of the following are part of the Hawaiian honeycreeper group

amakihi

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apapane

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iiwi

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Cini, an Italian firm, worked at least some in gold, because my 14 kt wedding ring was by Cini (a million years ago). Long time later, I had the Cini family's daughters recast it and create a new one from that earlier mold.

That is so cool! Do you have photos you could share?
 
jellyv, I would also love to see the gold ring! Junkenpo, those are such beautiful birds!

The pin on the left is Cini; the one on the right is likely American Art Nouveau based on the marks and clasp. (I just like faces like these...) The Cini is a little over three inches long, I think.
 

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I will post pics of the old and new Cini rings as soon as I can.

Misti, those are two fantastic pieces! The Art Nouveau one is so very unusual.
 
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jellyv, I would also love to see the gold ring! Junkenpo, those are such beautiful birds!

The pin on the left is Cini; the one on the right is likely American Art Nouveau based on the marks and clasp. (I just like faces like these...) The Cini is a little over three inches long, I think.

I love them! They are so romantic looking... like something you'd expect to be magical amulets and be able to invoke power from or that it would come to life to talk to you.

The Cini one looks like it's powerful protection for defense or offense and the Nouveau one looks like it would be a mystic advisor or oracle type. Way cool. (I probably read too much fantasy, lol).
 
I will post pics of the old and new Cini rings as soon as I can.

Misti, those are two fantastic pieces! The Art Nouveau one is so very unusual.

I love them! They are so romantic looking... like something you'd expect to be magical amulets and be able to invoke power from or that it would come to life to talk to you.

The Cini one looks like it's powerful protection for defense or offense and the Nouveau one looks like it would be a mystic advisor or oracle type. Way cool. (I probably read too much fantasy, lol).

Thanks - I am a sucker for something unusual. The Nouveau pin has a maker's mark but I've never been able to identify it.
 
My Cini wedding band, "new" (probably 7-10 years old already) and old. My original ring got so much wear over the years that the design wore down, so I had the descendants of the company recast a new one from the original mold.

And my American Art Nouveau pin, in need of polishing. I bought this when I was very young and didn't know enough to leave it as it was....so I added a necklace loop. It has a bit of damage on one edge.
 

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My Cini wedding band, "new" (probably 7-10 years old already) and old. My original ring got so much wear over the years that the design wore down, so I had the descendants of the company recast a new one from the original mold.

And my American Art Nouveau pin, in need of polishing. I bought this when I was very young and didn't know enough to leave it as it was....so I added a necklace loop. It has a bit of damage on one edge.

I love the ring! It reminds me of a ming's ring or royal hawaiian heritage. Your pin is cool, too. I often wish I could wear some of the brooches as a pendant.
 
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