| Most pieces in my collection, including those shown above, are from the 19th century, and depict insects fairly realistically. When the Art Nouveau period dawned, insects such as dragonflies and butterflies were often given new treatments such as stylization and polychrome enamel. Some producers continued to offer realistic critters. One of my favorite examples is this highly realistic spider by William Kerr. The piece is a bit of a mystery to me: the back is mounted with a wide, flat loop and a tiny, sharp hook (the hook seems intended to grip fabric, and is not nearly large enough to have been a part of a buckle). I can only guess that the spider may have originally been attached to a length of black grosgrain ribbon, and would act as the ornament on a choker, the small hook functioning as the clasp by gripping the ribbon and keeping it taut around the neck.
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