Original Forehead Stamp

by johndonivan on October 7, 2008

One day when I lived in Honolulu, I was watching Hawaii 5-O.  A lady was sitting in a bar, someone walked up to her and said something, and she replied, “Do I look like I have Stupid stamped on my forehead?”  And I thought that someone should make such a thing, someday.  So, around ten years later that someday finally came.  I never title anything, but since this has a backstory with it, it is titled “Curious Object Found in a Wooded Glen.”

The box is around a foot long by maybe eight inches wide, made out of sticks and paper veneer, with a mahogany veneer on the top.  There is silver/copper/brass mokume here and there, but otherwise all metal is sterling.  There’s also Koa wood and various stones.  There’s also a book, which I wrote, painted and bound, which gives a story of elves being involved with human destiny.  I thought it would be better to have a story than to just present a kit with no explanation.

There are silver screws on the stamp, and a slot in which the letters fit.  One screw is removed, the stamp is filled with letters, the screw replaced and tightened, and then ink and stamp.

 

Front view showing the book and two drawers of letters.  The letters are vulcanized rubber mounted on agate tablets that fit into the stamp.

Outside view of box – Koa, ebony, silver with a spring catch.

Ink tablet, Koa, ebony and jade brayer, jasper spatula.

The actual forehead stamp, which is a rock crystal carving and jasper in silver, and the three containers with mokume lids mounted in carved Koa wood.

Stamp, letters, brayer, tablet, spatula – ready to stamp a forehead.

View of interior of kit.  Trays of letters and a slot for the book are underneath.

johndonivan

johndonivan

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

M'lou April 12, 2009 at 12:58 pm

I would SO like to see this appear on Antiques Roadshow in 50 years! This piece, and you, are one-of-a-kind, for sure. I love it.

Jamie King March 17, 2009 at 10:16 am

I’m imagining 100 years from now when someone runs across this fantastic stamp . . . hmmmm

Heather M Skowood jewelry November 12, 2008 at 6:10 pm

wonderfully made and very funny!

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