RARE Mid-Century HILDA KRAUS Modern Pewter Owl Bookmark Handmade

This very special bookmark was crafted by Hilda Kraus, a mid-century modern craftsman known for her superior designed jewelry, enameled metalwork boxes and decorative items. Hilda was born in New York City in 1915.She had a B.A. from Hunter College 1935 and completed her post graduate studies at International Academy of Art, Salzburg, Austria, in 1967,72,77. Kraus served as an apprentice to a Danish silversmith for 3 years and studied traditional enameling methods in the great centers of Europe including France, Italy, and Germany. Hilda was a lifetime member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists and a Master Craftsman as awarded by the Society for Connecticut Craftsman. During her lifetime, Hilda was the recipient of many awards and prizes for her work both here and in Europe, especially for her work in cloisonné enamels. Her work is in the collections of the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse; the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; and the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington. In 1946, her work was featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art called Modern Handmade Jewelry, one of the earliest and most influential jewelry exhibitions in the postwar period. This bookmark is signed "Hilda Kraus" in the back and stamped with the word, "PEWTER". Please note, I have not polished this to maintain the original patina. Weight: 8.33 grams Dimensions: 2 1/4" x 1 1/4" Wear: commensurate with age - some scratching and tarnishing.