Hi all! I know so many of you are really good at figuring out makers marks.
I’m stumped about this one.
I found this mokume-gane ring in a pawn shop, and I snagged it. I have never seen one out in the wild, and I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t grab this one.
Mokume-gane is a Japanese technique of sandwiching layers of precious metal together to create a woodgrain-like appearance.
It is sterling and copper, with a very distinct mark.
I’m having no luck trying to identify it.
Does anyone recognize the mark? It looks like an eagle carrying a star in his beak.
This looks like it’s made from the Silver/Copper Mokume Gane material Rio Grande sells in ready made sheets. I seem to remember that Shane Hendren used to use quite a bit of it, and even won some awards.
It’s pretty material. I’ve still got a 3”x3” inch sheet of it I bought to experiment with. Had a special request from my son in law, and whipped up a wedding band for him with it.
Love your ring, it looks zebra-ish. So I have this ring that reminds me of yours in its make. It is sterling silver and (I think) copper. I bought it years ago and can’t remember what the info I had on it said, but it really reminds me of yours. Could it be the same?
Beautiful, Mike! A great ring! I’m really drawn to this style of jewelry. The organic form is so interesting to me.
Of course my ring is a bit more pedestrian than your fabulous creation!
Maybe it’s this billet material sold by Rio Grande.
I say that because the ring looks like it was made from twisted billet, to create that star effect.
Thanks! Now I’m wondering if the ring part is steel and copper. The band says sterling, and I cannot remember what the original info said. This is by Charles Albert. I bought some of his things in Mackinaw City, and then in some of them the stones came loose. I lost a beautiful piece of Aztec Lapis, so I stopped buying his stuff. But this was the first thing I ever bought of his.
You can actually get that effect with the sheet material by rolling it out in one direction with the rolling mill, enlongating the patterns. Looks to me as if the maker soldered the material to a heavy sterling backplate and then rolled the sheet out to get the enlongated striations, before forming it into a ring and soldering up the joint.
@Stracci looking closely at the wing there is also a story of how the raven stole light! He stole the sun moon and stars from a greedy chief who kept it hidden away in a box by turning himself into a cedar needle and then drifting into the chiefs daughters drinking water when she drank his he impregnated her and was born as her sun the chief love his grand son so much that after years of asking to see the box the chief let him and he opened it letting out all the light in the world and giving it to all then turning back into the raven and flying away that’s why you can see raven holding a sun moon or star in its beak in a lot of Athabaskan art mainly northwest coast Alaska through Canada and upper us!
Look up the story of how the raven stole light and you can find it I’m sure if not ill ask the elders to retell it to me I’m sure I’m leaving a lot out.
Great story!
Maybe the maker is from the Pacific Northwest!
Ravens are amazing. A few years ago, I saw a raven rolling pebbles around in a parking lot for fun.
Another time, I witnessed a raven snatching a pigeon from a roof, and then quickly removed its head and made a meal of the rest.
They have my respect!
