Brooch Depicting Two Birds In Flight. S.A. 2648, Unknown Umbarim master. Gold (18kt), pearl, diamond, sapphire, emerald, and ruby.
This piece was likely commissioned by Tar-Ardamin (then crown prince Gimilzagâr) as a gift for his wife, the princess (later empress) Zôrzimril. That the “cloud” structure is composed of 44 cultured pearls from Shayyar in Umbar, the site of several pearl farms of famously high quality owned by the family of the future empress. The relatively naturalistic birds are unusual for the late-high Ârada period, more often known for elaborate and heavily stylized depictions of human and organic forms. For this reason, historians have theorized that the birds are a later addition to the original cloud brooch.
However, the detailed gold-work and geometric gem settings are both typical of several Umbarim schools operating in the mid-26th century. The style adapts elements of traditional Haradric design to a new level of technical skill made possible by contemporary Adûnaic metal-working techniques. The intimacy of the work also suggests a personal gift, as does the subject matter. Tar-Ardamin was himself a noted ornithologist, and the two birds are a popular subject of Adûna romantic imagery dating back to the wedding of Aldarion and Erendis. It is not clear if this piece depicts the “elven-birds”, which are usually done in white-gold or silver with golden beaks and feet. Perhaps the prince wished for a less historically fraught symbol to present to his new wife.