Ronde broche van koper met kwarts (aventurijn) c. 1920 - 1930

This copper brooch with aventurine quartz was made by Conrad Fehn, though we don't know exactly when. It’s got this raw, hammered texture all over the copper, like the metal itself is breathing. I love that it’s not trying to be too slick or perfect; you can really see the hand in it. Then there’s this smooth, green quartz right in the middle, like a calm eye in the middle of a storm. There's this section of hatched marks on the copper surface that really grab my attention, they remind me of fingernail marks, as if the maker was digging into the surface of the material, leaving their trace. Think about the Arts and Crafts movement, where things were all about handmade quality and the beauty of natural materials, and how that informed people like Gustav Klimt. Art is never created in isolation, it’s always building on ideas, responding, and pushing back. It's one big conversation, really!