This pair of skis is made of solid silver by the American company called Lang Sterling Jewellery Company which was founded in 1946 in Providence, Rhode Island. The company ceased trading in the late 1970s. These cute little skis are from the 1950s. At a time when glitz and glamour were all the rage in costume jewellery Lang concentrated on working with silver and producing what they described as ‘narrative designs’; groups of children dancing, various animals, musical instruments, items of clothing (shoes, fans, hats, umbrellas). Lang Sterling jewellery features a letter “S” in the form of a swan ‘Sterling’ as a mark.
Various Examples of Lang Brooches
The word “ski” comes from the Old Norse word “skíð” meaning “cleft wood”, “stick of wood”. The earliest archaeological examples of skis were found in Russia and date to 6000 BC and in China in the Xinjiang region (which borders Russia) there are cave paintings in the Altai Mountains suggesting skis being used in 3000 BC. Primitive Scandinavian skis were found in a peat bog in Hoting in Sweden dating from 2500 BC. During the Napoleonic Wars Norway used troops on skis against Sweden and during WWI and WWII skis were used quite widely by various military.
A Norwegian Solider on Skis 1801
Skiing started as a means of travel across snow clad regions, it was not until the mid 19th century it became a sport and the development of the ‘ski resort’ began.
The Best Dressed Skiers Ever!?!