Pentti Sarpaneva bronze pendant with ceramic 'eye', Finland c 1970s

This is a rare piece: a brutalist bronze pendant with a blue ceramic 'eye' by Finnish designer Pentti Sarpaneva. It's fairly chunky, measuring approximately 7 x 3.8 cm (excluding bale) on a 66 cm bronze chain. It's stamped with the designer's initials PS.  It's in very good vintage condition with only minor signs of use and age-related patination.

Pentti Akseli Sarpaneva (1925-78) was a Finnish designer who specialised in affordable jewellery and other small items. His jewellery was originally made from enamel and recycled materials, moving on to cast items of bronze, silver and gold.  

He began his design career in the early 1960s and the mid-1960s he began collaborating with Kalevala Jewellery. In 1967 he became Artistic Designer at Turun Hopea Oy, where he worked as an Artistic Director.