Brooch

This small brooch is richly decorated. In the centre a motive of cut out larger and smaller circles can be seen. In the centre of the larger circles, and in between, black (imitation) glass gemstones have been placed, with zigzag lines above them. Around this motive two rows of curved circles have been applied. The wavy edge of the brooch is trimmed with a zigzag line. Both on the outer part of the brooch and on the edge are rings, from which round gold leaf plates hang.\The Saami are masters of making beautifully designed utensils in wood and bone ('hjemsloid').\They also have a good eye for silver jewelry, which they have made to order by local silversmiths or jewelry designers.\That also applies to this brooch, from Norwegian Sapmi (= Lapland). Originally, the Saami did not wear brooches. That only happened a few generations ago, when the Saami became acquainted with South Norwegian filigree work. Silver objects such as these are part of Sami bridal silver. Husband and wife often took matching jewellery for the wedding. The 'copying' of old specimens still goes on. Nowadays, one no longer comes with a bone-cut example, but with a drawing or sketch. Sami silver is also an investment, as it is fairly stable in value. \Often motifs are taken from the natural environment, such as snow crystals or the structure of reindeer moss. Animal motifs and the so-called sun wheel are old Saami symbols, possibly taken from Russia. Among the oldest motifs are birds and bird's feet, sometimes stylized, sometimes with a paw print displayed.‖ But Christian motifs, such as the cross, are also depicted.‖ Such jewelry is worn by Sami women themselves.‖ Sometimes they are part of a bridal costume. Silver adornments like these are worn on high days, at weddings and baptisms. They are too precious to be lost on the tundra during migrations or in everyday life.‖ Jewelry is also for sale to tourists (often, but not exclusively, Norwegians and Swedes) in shops selling products of Sami home crafts and at jewelry stores. They can also be seen at Sami shops selling handicrafts to tourists in a lavvo (traditional tent) by the side of the road.\*Sami silver, a living tradition.\* Nowadays, Sami people return to the silversmith after only 1 or 2 years, with a piece of silver they bought fairly new, to have something changed. They may want a different colour stone, or all silver (i.e. in the case of a brooch, they may want gold leaf parts replaced with silver). They also return regularly to have the silver polished (complicated pieces have to be taken apart for this), or to order a new piece.Background on Sami silver and weddings:The Sami have owned jewelry and objects (such as drinking cups and spoons) made of silver since the seventeenth century. They obtained the silver through barter with Norwegians, Swedes and Finns. Hides and other objects were exchanged for silver. The silversmiths were based in the coastal towns of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The oldest known silver ornaments were made by silversmiths in Bergen (Norway). They supplied silver to all Sami areas in Sweden, Norway and Finland. In the eighteenth century, Swedish and Finnish silversmiths took over the Sami silver market. The Sami never could work metals themselves, with the exception of tin. Working with silver required tools that were comparatively large and heavy, which a nomadic people like the Sami could not carry with them. Tin, on the other hand, is soft and flexible, so that no special and heavy tools are needed to work it. \The Sami purchased silver for social, economic and practical reasons. Presumably, there are also religious aspects to the use of Sami silver. Silver was precious and gave its owner status. It also served a decorative function on festive occasions, such as weddings, baptisms, other religious ceremonies and fairs. Silver objects were also an investment for the Sami. It was easy to transport, weighed comparatively little, could withstand rough handling and had a market value, so that they could exchange it for goods if necessary. Silver was a capital that held its value - Sami capital was literally cashed in - and in this way had an economic function. \In everyday life, silver jewellery and brooches or collar clasps were worn on clothing and therefore also had a practical function. Jewelry models used hundreds of years ago are still in use today. There are still Sami today who wear silver from the eighteenth century. New artists base their designs on the original models. Silver is always kept within the family, it is passed on from generation to generation. But despite being part of the heritage in some areas, much of the old Sami silver has disappeared. The silver could not always be taken along when the Sami were trekking with the reindeer. They would look for a safe place to keep it. The silver was kept in a wooden box with a lock. This wooden box was placed in a metal canister and then buried or hidden in a rock crevice. Often, only the father of the family knew where the silver was buried or hidden. Many families got into financial trouble in this way, as the family father died suddenly, for example in an accident, without being able to tell where the treasure was buried. \However, a Sami informant gave another explanation for burying silver. He told that in some Sami communities silver was not inherited, but was deliberately buried, hidden, to prevent its inheritance from causing strife among the heirs. It was to decay and be 'given back' to nature. "You don't leave anything behind, you don't make a monument of yourself."-There is strong evidence that silver objects are associated with the necessary taboos and that religious aspects play a role. Silver is said to have a healing or incantation effect. Silver coins or bullets were hung above a Sami cradle to protect the baby from dangerous trolls or earthly beings called uldas who could harm the child. Not only the Sami, but also the Norwegians put (d) a knife in the crib....... \Especially during weddings these days, silver plays an important role. The bride and groom usually wear a blue party jacket, which is decorated with wedding silver. The bride wears (and wore) a bridal crown and bridal collar, and nowadays a rich decoration on the clothes of round silver brooches; the groom wears a silver belt (see attached budget and copy). Silver jewelry is found in Sami clothing. A silver collar was worn under the V-neck of women's coats and dresses (often also made of tin wire).‖ Other Sami objects made of silver are cups and spoons. Silver initially came to Lapland in the 15th century via blacksmiths in Bergen (Norway). At first, Sami people bought what was fashionable in Europe. While the trend in Europe changed, they stuck to the old models. They often came up with a model carved from reindeer antlers, for example of a spoon, as an example for the Norwegian smith from whom they ordered a silver copy.å Sami drinking utensils in the form of cups, jugs and bowls were used to drink brandy from on high days. They were also given as gifts. Jugs were faithful copies in silver of jugs made from birch knot.‖ The largest group of silver objects (besides jewelry) consists of spoons. The first spoons in Samsich territory were imported silver crown and button spoons. Later, there was an interaction between Sami bone spoons and European silver spoons, which gradually became identical and managed their appearance over the centuries. \An economic background for Sami silver was a certain boom among the Norwegian and Swedish Sami, based on the fur trade, trade in dried fish and reindeer products. The earnings (surplus) were invested in silver.As mentioned earlier, almost all Sami silver has its origins outside of the Sami areas, but it has its own Sami stamp/characteristics. These jewelry models are only in use by the Sami today. \Sami silver became more widely known in the 1960s. Frank Juhls opened Jühls' Silvergallery in Kautokeino and manufactures silver jewellery and objects of Sami origin and with Sami motifs. This is where the Sami order and buy their jewellery. After Jühls, various Sami silversmiths followed his example.