WOOD JEWELRY

One way to survive hard times is with wit... a sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurd. The 1930' to the 1950's, Depression years followed by war years, brought about some of the wittiest and most absurd jewelry of the 20th century, and some of the most fun to wear. Wood jewelry was either assembled, as the wood beads mixed with plastic, glass and other materials, or carved and painted, as the figurals shown below. Fashioned by both jewelry companies and home crafters, the designs seem endless and the creativity amazing.

   HASKELL early Hess wooden floret beads and glass seed beads coil bracelet. View showing the woven coil cover construction of the bracelet.  Closer views of beads. View   View   #H22088

    HASKELL Hess early unsigned dress clip with wood florets and green glass beads, 3".   View   #H26700

   WOOD, straw, coral and aqua beads 2-1/2" dress clip, probably Czech. View  A similar brooch is in "Amazing Gems".   #Y19780  

     HASKELL wooden bead bells and stars pin in blue, red, green and natural colors, 3". Clips and pins in this series came in various colors and designs and this one is particularly lush and long. A Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell, it is unsigned as was typical for this era, circa 1940.   View   #H19700

    HASKELL early unsigned wooden beads pinecones pin, 3-1/2". Each pinecone is formed of graduated flat flower-shaped wood disks, capped by a black glass seed bead. A Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell, it is unsigned as was typical for this era, circa 1940.   View  View    #H19832

   HASKELL Hess unsigned wooden beads and florets pin, 3".  View   #H26587   

     WOOD beads multi-color and white wooden 3" dress clip with floret beads at the top, very Haskell in it's style, but it could also be Czech.   View  #H20853

  WOODEN multi-colored beads 3-1/2" dress clip with green wooden leaves.   View   #w21708   

HASKELL early unsigned multi-colored wooden beads pin circa 1940, 2-1/3". A Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell, it is unsigned as was typical for this era, circa 1940.  View  #W23389

      WOODEN beads and flowers bracelet, red, blue gold cream and green, 7 by 1-1/4", and matching dress clips, 1-1/3". The two blue stations on the bracelet are pressed with a floral design. Circa 1935, probably Czech.  View   View  #w22174

WOODEN Suzanne Brand Made in Czechoslovakia multi-colored wooden beads purse with zipper top, circa 1935, 8" by 5". See a similar purse in Moro's European Designer Jewelry on page 188 and in "A Passion for Purses" by Higgins & Blaser on page 232. .  #P25403   
WOODEN Haskell and Czech jewelry and purse.

  WOOD balls necklace made of bells in red, blue, green and yellow and wood bead clappers, circa 1935, 15" by 7/8", strung on string.   View   #w34362

     WOODEN and glass beads clip in red, yellow and blue, clip back marked "Made in USA', 2-1/3".   View   #w27739

  WOOD and glass beaded 3-3/8" by 1-1/2" pin.   View

  WOOD multi-colored bead 2" pin.  View   #w23805 

    HASKELL Hess wood red and brown beads with green glass seed bead tips and green wood and seed bead bow top dress clip, circa 1930s, 2".   View   #w27310

    HASKELL early unsigned wooden beads and leaves necklace, 15" by 2".   View    View   #H25068

    HASKELL Hess wood beads dress clip with green glass seed bead finials and green wooden leaves, circa 1930, wonderful colors, 2-1/8".  View   #w21534 

  WOOD round acorn-shaped beads with colored caps and spacer beads 16" necklace .  #w22877

   WOODEN multi-colored acorns brooch, 4-1/4".  View   #w24293

  WOODEN green and brown acorns strung on a 14" gold tone chain.   #w21598

  WOODEN multi-colored olives and green leaves pin with olives in red, blue, yellow and brown, 3-5/8". One tiny black glass seed bead is missing from the bottom of one yellow olive.  View   #w25375

WOOD bells bracelet with green plastic leaves strung on a celluloid chain, circa 1950, 8".    #W61409

WOOD red berries brooch with brown leaves, 2".  View   #w25404

   WOODEN carved and painted "King of the Jungle" pin.    View  #w14002

  WOOD carved and painted English rider 2 3/4" pin.    View   #w13519

WOOD  carved and painted football player and ball chatelaine pin with painted detail, 2 1/2".    View   #w14013

WOODEN MEXICAN man 3-1/2" pin carved and painted.   View   #w13275

     COWBOY wooden and leather pin, painted and carved with leather chaps, rope shows some wear… but he's a HUGE 4 1/2".  View  #w12975  

   WOOD Mexican three-hat pin, 2.25" with red, yellow and green thread.    View     #w10572

    WOOD sombrero and boots dangle pin, 2-1/4" by 4".     View  #w13093

   WOOD couple dancing pin with painted green details, 2-1/2".    View  #w14873

   WOOD SHOES pin with painted trim and red laces, 3".    View  #w15248

  WOOD BULL head pin 4-1/2" with fuzzy hair, glass eyes and green felt ears.  View  #w13277

WOOD BULL 4-1/2" head pin with furry mane and leather ears, glued and riveted pin back. View   #w13278

    WOOD elephant pin with painted details, 2 3/4".    View   #w13029

     WOOD carved sailor head pin with painted face, felt collar, circa 1935-40,  2 3/4". (Similar piece seen in Christie Romero's "Warman's Jewelry, 2nd Ed, page 147.)    View   #w14773

    SAILOR pin in bakelite and wood with painted accents, circa 1940-45. (Seen in Christie Romero's "Warman's Jewelry, 2nd Ed, page 147.)    
View    #B13642

   MILITARY MAN 2 1/2" pin, deeply carved and painted… a wonderful vintage  WWII piece.  View  #w12977

   WOOD face pin with painted red lips, brass eyes and earrings, 3 1/3".   View   #w13028 

 WOOD native face pin with green plastic earrings, painted detail, 3 1/2".    View   #w12972

     WOOD  native face pin with painted lips and brass earrings, 3".    View   #w14811

     WOOD painted polka dotted fawn pin, 3 1/8".   View   #w13091

     WOODEN painted Scotty pin with glass eye, 2 1/4".    View   #w13089

      WOOD SCOTTIE carved and painted 3-1/3" pin with rhinestones… a real cutie!  View   #w13085

  WOOD banjo pin with brass tacks and wire strings, 4-1/4".  View   #w13280

  WOOD and bakelite radishes pin with painted stems, 2-1/4". This pin is shown in Wassertrom & Pina "Bakelite Jewelry", page 135.   View   #w13440

  WOOD bird pin with Lucite wings, 3-1/2".  

   WOOD and bakelite  chipmunk pin, 2-1/2" by 2-1/4".    View

   BAKELITE 2" fox in a wooden log brooch.   View    #B14005

   BAKELITE and wood  carved apple juice turtle pin, 2-1/2".   View   #B22876