Fierce Lion-Eagle Cufflinks
Roaring Eagles! |
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The Victorians decorated cufflinks and other jewels with a menagerie of exotic and hybrid creatures. These striking cufflinks feature a roaring lion with avian, wing-like ears, a feathered mane and the tightly curling tongue of a bird of prey. I am not sure whether to refer to these cufflinks as roaring lions or screaming eagles. Created by Carter, Howe & Co. in 14kt gold, circa 1900.
 A nice feature of these well designed cufflinks is that the lion-eagles face each other. As a result, when worn the cufflink in left cuff faces in the same direction as the cufflink in the right cuff. Sometimes cufflink makers would economize by creating just one top and using it for both sides. When worn one cufflink would face forward while the other would face backward. Perhaps a small detail, but to a sartorially resplendent Victorian such visually askew cufflinks would have been anathema.
 The backs of the cufflinks are as nicely crafted as the fronts. The solid tops are attached to oval bean backs with sturdy curved bridges. The curved bridges help assure that the links remain properly oriented on the cuff.
 Stamped on the bridges is the maker's mark of Carter, Howe & Co. (an arrowhead enclosing a small "C"). To the left of the maker's mark is "14" indicating the purity of the gold. Carter, Howe & Company was a maker of fine gold cufflinks and other jewels during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Name: Roaring Eagles
Here are a few more elegant cufflinks from the past ...
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| Antique Jewelry Galleries Antique Cufflink Gallery If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, I can be reached at 978 525-8951 or arthur@jewelryexpert.com.
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