Puzzling Evidence: A Suite of "Chinese Charm" Designs Featuring Bookchain, Uncertain Attribution to Miriam Haskell

A distinctive cluster of bookchain necklaces featuring charms apparently inspired by “Chinese lantern” charm jewelry, possibly created around World War II in a year in which actual Chinese-manufactured beads had become scarce. Late 1940s?  Early 1950s? The only Chinese beads in these designs are cloisonne dragon beads and carved cinnabar lacquer, unlike the suites of Chinese charm jewelry discussed in prior blog posts.

There are two separate composition styles:

• The first features a showy elaborate bookchain as well as a standard bookchain. 

• The second style features standard bookchain with the large bead dangles interspersed by small dangles made from brass findings.  

Many of the same beads appear in the dangles for both styles, indicating they were likely made in the same workshop at the same time.  The sources of the beads are varied –Molded and lampwork glass from Venice, or Japan, or Czechoslovakia? Blown glass from Lauscha? Stone chip inlay from India? Plastics, both phenolic and non-phenolic. Molded composition beads from Japan. Chinese carved cinnabar and cloisonne dragon beads from the 1930s. Painted wood. Sea beans. A distinctive large metal filigree bead. And others… 

Whether this suite of jewelry was part of an unsigned Miriam Haskell line is a mystery.  Possibly a case could be made for Czech manufacture, but more evidence is needed. Ditto for manufacture by a designer/workshop other than Haskell.

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Temporary Link: eBay necklace on offer from Linda's Treasures of the Past https://www.ebay.com/itm/235908209519

Puzzling Evidence: A Suite of Findings & Beads in Circa 1940s Jewelry Attributed to Miriam Haskell

 

The previous blog post discussed a distinctive chain and clasp that shows up often in “Chinese Lantern” charm jewelry circa World War 2. 

https://www.beadiste.com/2024/12/puzzling-evidence-distinctive-chain.html

This post is an extended discussion of the suite of distinctive findings that accompany the beads used in these designs.  These findings – and the ways they are used - are so unique to these necklaces, bracelets, and brooches that it is difficult to believe they did not originate from a single workshop. 

Lore has it that it was the Miriam Haskell workshop that produced this jewelry, but none of the pieces are signed.  The clasps are often inconsistent with the supposed use by Haskell of only knobless spring ring clasps; a significant number of the pieces feature knobbed spring rings.  Are these replacements, or original to the pieces?  Did wartime metal restrictions encourage the use of whatever clasps were still available from the findings factories?

eBay vendor SouthernAntiqueJewels currently has on offer two of the pieces shown in the slides. Photos used with permission.

https://www.ebay.com/str/southernantiquejewels

Link to informative article about Larry Vrba at Morning Glory Jewelry:

https://www.morninggloryjewelry.com/articles/article/lawrence-larry-vrba-jewelry/

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