Tuesday 8 May 2012

Monkey Brooch

If money was no object, I would love to collect novelty jewellery. There are some marvellous examples out there, and their weird novelty seems at odds with the supposed purpose of jewellery to enhance the wearer. 

I have a few pieces though, like this wonderful old brooch, with its three cheeky monkeys dangling from it. Why is the middle one naked, when the others have clothes on? And why do the others have clothes on anyway? And more to point, why is the one on the left smoking a cigar?

It seems an odd choice for a brooch, all round. Maybe an organ grinder had it specially made for his girlfriend. "Every time you see the monkeys, you'll think of me..."

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