Iona Abbey and village from the
landing-slip at Fionnphort on Mull










Very unusual Alexander Ritchie silver bar brooch depicting a serpent, the tail of the which is the pin.The other end of the brooch is the head of the serpent.The central knotwork panel also has two separate serpents heads at either end.. Marks are AR IONA. No hallmark. From early 1920s period. Length 6 cms.



During the busy periods of Ritchie's ICA (Iona Celtic Art) period it seems various pieces were sent for outworking by their acquaintance the silversmith W H Darby, who used to visit Alex and Euphemia on Iona. Here is a Ritchie silver brooch with a design from MacKinnon's Cross on Iona, made by W H Darby and hallmaked for Birmingham 1936, date letter 'm', this being right in the middle of the Iona ICA period. W H Darby (senior) was related to A H Darby and sons, but it should be noted that the latter only began their trade in 1942 after Ritchie's death - producing some of Ritchies designs from his original moulds. W H Darby senior was already an established silversmith during the 1930s, and as well as his own work was producing some Iona designs for the Ritchies.






Elegant silver pin brooch with enclosed spiral design at one end. The reverse is double hallmarked AR IONA and the 'spectacle mark' of AR next to a hallmark for Glasgow 1928.





Unusual version of this Alexander Ritchie silver brooch, which can be seen as plain silver earlier in this section. This one has atttactive green enamel and reverse marks forAR IONA with ICA and a hallmark for Birmingham 1938. Attractive and unusual.





Alexander Ritchie pierced silver bar brooch with knotwork design incorporating two dragons. Reverse hallmarks are AR IONA and ICA with Birmingham hallmark for 1938.


<- BACK

Home  ~   History  ~   Iona  ~   Hallmarks  ~   Brooches  ~   Crosses
Pendants  ~   Kilt and Hat Pins  ~   Enamelled Silverware  ~   Rings/Napkin Rings
Spoons and Forks  ~   Brassware  ~   Copperware  ~   Carved Wooden Items
Copperware  ~   Other Items  ~   Contemporary Silversmiths
Later Iona Silverwork  ~   Ancient Stone Carvings of Iona
Early Iona Pictures  ~  About Iona Marble  ~   "Iona Celtic Art"  ~   Celtic Links
"Celtic Tradition" - NEW!


© 2004 by David James