This is a fantastic and highly collectable vintage brooch - made by Gudmund Elvestad (1932-2006) for J. Tostrup in Norway.
It is a very sculptural piece and (to me) takes the form of a little running man - this style is typical of Elvestad's work in the 1960s. It is fully marked on the reverse - as photographed.
This is a very stylish work by Elvestad and such pieces by him are now hard to find and are highly sought after. - this is reflected in my asking price.
As you can see from my photographs - this fine silver brooch is in excellent condition with no damages.
It measures 2 1/2 inches in height (6.5 cm). The width is 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm).
Gudmund Elvestad was apprenticed at the David-Andersen company from 1950 - 1954. He studied at the National College of Art and Designed from 1954 - 1959. He also received the Fulbright Scholarship 1959 - 1960 which took him to the Cranbrooch Academy of Art in Michigan.
He started designing for Tostrup in the early 1960s. His jewellery is very stylised and often in the brutalist style. Not only did he make fine pieces of jewellery - but was often given commissions to make pieces of fine church altar silver.
He also worked on a freelance basis for the company Sønnica in Oslo.
From 1964 he went into another field when he started designing glass for the small company 'Randsfjorden Glassverk', where the famous female glass artist Benny Motzfeldt was the artistic leader from 1967. Please also see my Motzfeldt vase in my Iconic Edinburgh online shop.
In 1966 Elvestad took the position of leader of the goldsmith class at National College of Art and Design (NCAD). As a teacher, Elvestad played an important role in the education of metalwork artists, first in Norway, and later in Sweden. In 1969–72 he was the jury chairman of the Norwegian Design Centre.