The only other pair of these I've seen were on Butter Lane Antiques' site, and their description is amazing so I'm repeating it here (thanks Alex!)
Interesting antique cufflinks showing that the wearer is a member of the Ancient Order of Froth Blowers (AOFB), an hilarious parody - I think - of the RAOB (Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes). The latter being one of the largest fraternal organisations in the United Kingdom, founded in 1822 and known as The Buffs. The AOFB was registered as a charitable organisation, hoping "to foster the noble Art and gentle and healthy Pastime of froth blowing amongst Gentlemen of-leisure and ex Soldiers". It was founded in 1924 by Herbert Longdale Temple, an ex-soldier and curtain-merchant, initially to raise £100 (equal to £5,831 today) for the children's charities of the surgeon Sir Alfred Fripp. Fripp had saved Temple's life when he operated on his stomach, inspiring Temple to found the AOFB as a thank you.
A quote from the AOFB handbook:
"A sociable and law-abiding fraternity of absorptive Britons who sedately consume and quietly enjoy with commendable regularity and frequention the truly British malted beverage as did their forbears and as Britons ever will, and be damned to all pussyfoot hornswogglers from overseas and including low brows, teetotalers and MPs and not excluding nosey parkers, mock religious busy bodies and suburban fool hens all of which are structurally solid bone from the chin up".
This product is final sale.
thedetails
- Materials
silver, enamel
- Age
c. 1920
- Size
18.0 x 8.7mm
- Condition
very good
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Aboutthe
Art DecoEra
1915 — 1940
Motifs like ziggurats and sunbursts, stripped of visual clutter, conveyed the optimism of an increasingly technological world. In jewelry, the predominant use of white metals let colorful gems take center stage. Stones that were opaque and true in color, like lapis lazuli, onyx, jade, coral, and opal were worked into designs alongside more precious and brilliant gems, like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Extra-long beaded necklaces and tasseled “sautoirs” followed the narrow flapper silhouette. The baguette cut was an Art Deco innovation, and the decade saw increased use of other angular diamond cuts, like the precise calibré cut and the emerald cut. Synthetic colored gems, specifically ruby and sapphire, were celebrated as a scientific marvel. Marcel Tolkowsky, 21 years old at the time, published the design for the round brilliant cut in 1919.
please note:Terms of Sale
During the archive sale, shipping is FREE for purchases over $300 within the continental US. For US-bound purchases under $300, a flat $10 fee will be charged to cover packaging and shipping costs. International orders will be subject to our normal shipping fees, and may incur customs charges. Please refer to our FAQ's for more information on our international shipping policy.
For sale orders, we'll be shipping via USPS first class mail. Any orders valued over $1,000 will ship via UPS ground, insured and with signature required. Since these sales are always extremely popular, expect to wait up to 4 weeks for shipping and handling; for any orders involving sizing or stamping, expect to wait up to 4-6 weeks. We have one employee and expect many hundreds of orders. You'll receive an email when your order ships, which may take several weeks. Please be patient!
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All sale items are FINAL SALE. No refunds or exchanges.