Cloak pins

Jewelry Discussion
1

Does anybody know any sources for cloak pins, that is designs and
techniques? I’m not fussy, I’m interested in anything out there, from
any time or culture.

Thanks,
Richard

2

Hi Richard; See if you can locate a copy of Jewelry Making and
Design, by Augustus F. Rose and Antonio Cirino.

David L. Huffman

3 
    Does anybody know any sources for cloak pins, that is designs
and techniques? I'm not fussy, I'm interested in anything out
there, from any time or culture.

Dress Accessories by Geoff Egan and Frances Pritchard (ISBN
0-11-290444-0) has an extensive chapter on 11th to 14th century
brooches of various designs. Most books on jewelry history have
several examples of various eras designs.

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL
@Ron_Charlotte1 OR afn03234@afn.org

4 
    Does anybody know any sources for cloak pins, that is designs
and techniques? I'm not fussy, I'm interested in anything out
there, from any time or culture.

Richard – Check out the Tara Brooch, or the Pennanular Brooch. I
believe both are about 8th century pieces. While wonderful pieces of
Celtic art, they are also quite interesting from the standpoint of
how they work – not the usual means of closure that we would expect
to see today and yet probably extremely effective for the large and
heavy cloaks that were worn in those days.

If you go to Google and search on Tara Brooch, you will find not only
these two (both in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin), but a
number of others that are similar as well as some revivalist
versions from the 1800’s.

Laura.

5

I’ve used two tie tacks soldered to two small pieces and then joined
them with a linking design. Cloak is cool. best -j

6 
    Does anybody know any sources for cloak pins, that is designs
and techniques? I'm not fussy, I'm interested in anything out
there, from any time or culture.

Richard, funny you should ask … Last year I had the pleasure of
meeting an artist by the name of Bruce Pringle. He works in
bronze,steel, wood and silver from his workshop in Tasmania
Australia. His interests in Celtic culture lead him to making cloak
pins.These are made out of steel.

Some of his work is absolutely brilliant. The cost of the pins are
from $65 Australian (approx $32 US), too cheap if you ask me. From
this you should be able to see how the designs work and make your
own versions. He has one very interesting form of clip that has to
be seen working to make sense of it.

As I write for a magazine (Metal Stone and Glass) here in Australia,
I tried to interest him in advertising his abilities by showing
others how his pins are done in an article. But his interests have
since moved to other larger pieces and he has little time.

Should you wish to contact him or buy some of his work please
contact me off list. I can also help by sending you my research in
hardened sterling silver cloak pins based on his work. I have a
three-quarter finished article on the subject, should you be
interested. All credit goes to Bruce for the article as he inspired
it.

Regards
William Russell in tropical North Queensland Australia, where the grass
is greener all the time.
@William_Nicholas_Rus