Diana Hyslop 18ct Gold, Diamond and Resin "Dog Star" Brooch Pendant
The substantial, vintage 18 white gold brooch / pendant was made by Diana Hylsop for Schwartz Jewellers of Johannesburg in 2012. It is in the shape of a fox, with blackened face carved from resin, and a red enamel shirt. The shirt is decorated with a star, pave-set with six round, brilliant-cut diamonds (circa 0.30ct total colour G-H; clarity VSS1). There are two small round-cut green diamonds set as eyes (circa 0.02ct total). The brooch / pendant is surrounded by a halo of 15 light-blue, briolette-cut blue topaz (circa 20ct in total). The brooch has a white gold needle and, also, two large white gold fixed loops, that allow it to be worn alternatively as a pendant. For this purpose, included is an associated 70cm long plaited black leather Thomas Sabo necklace with white metal alloy clasp and terminations. The brooch / pendant is marked "SCHWARTZ; 18CT". The necklace clasp is stamped "Thomas Sabo".
The "Dog Star" pendant was handmade by Diana Hyslop for the "Translations: Art into Jewellery" 2012 Johannesburg exhibition, a collaboration between Schwartz Jewellers and Standard Bank, where ten of South Africa's top artists were selected to produce art-inspired jewellery items. In addition to Diana Hyslop, the artists included Norman Catherine, Marco Cianfanelli, Michael Frampton, Faiza Galdhari, Loren Kaplan, Dylan Lewis, Senzeni Marasela, Karel Nel and Walter Oltmann.
"SIRIUS THE DOG STAR
I once did a Vision Quest (which is a native American ritual helping to transcend and overcome one's fears) in the Groot Winterhoek Mountains in the Cape. I did it to try and conquer my fear of being alone at home at night in Joburg when my husband was away. I thought if I could spend five days and nights alone in the wild, with water as my only sustenance, I would have achieved a self-confidence and understanding, helping me in conquering some of these fears.
At night there was nothing to do but lie in my sleeping bag and look at the stars. The first star to stand out was Orion's Belt and to the left of Orion, Sirius. It is a blue white star and is the closest star to earth and is also called the Dog Star. The Dogons of Mali have a cosmology that is directly related to Sirius and they knew all about the elliptical movement through the skies long before the telescope was invented. As I dozed on and off I would follow the movement of Sirius through the night sky. Being able to focus on it made me feel sort of safe.
So, I created the Dog Star brooch because of that experience and the blue stones on the brooch referenced the blue white star of Sirius."
Diana Hyslop
Although Johannesburg is currently her home, Diana Hyslop (b. 1949) didn't always live there. And she wasn't always a painter. In her mid-twenties, she worked for Marvel Comics in London. On her return to South Africa, she joined the film industry and worked on feature and documentary films. During the 80s, she studied painting, and in the 90s, spent a year at the Santa Monica Fine Art Studios in California, where she spent time between filming and painting. It was only in 1998 that Hyslop committed to full-time painting and has since exhibited widely - both in South Africa and abroad. Her work is largely informed by comics and film, and her work is part real, part magic. She works mainly with oil, acrylic, and digital mediums and draws on the human experience, traversing emotion, spirit, vulnerability, and defences.
Age 2012
Weight 58.0g
Dimensions 87mm x 47mm max. height & width (brooch)
70cm long (necklace)
Condition Very good
Stock Code AK100
