Circa 1920 Unmarked Bezalel Circumcision Brit Milah Shield Antique Judaica

Description

1.5 inches high, 3 inches wide. I could not figure out what type of metal this was made of, so I had this analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope, and the results were that this is made of 65% copper and 35% zinc. Items made of 100% zinc or partly zinc began in the late 19th century until the 1930's.
This is a very interesting piece. If you compare it to the known silver Bezalel shield, you will see it is similar, but not identical. First, the silver example is acid-etched, which means using a design that was cut out and pouring acid onto it to create the decoration. That is not the case with this shield, which is engraved by hand. Some of the letters are a bit different in shape, and the sun is simplified. This of course came with a matching knife which would have been marked Bezalel, but unlike the silver shield, this does not state Bezalel.
This may be important in the history of Bezalel. If you actually read the book "Bezalel 1906-1929", you will see Boris Schatz was constantly trying to make items out of new and different materials. This copper & zinc shield was likely "experimental", and sold for a very short time.
Last two photos are from Sotheby's 2006 sale, and a close up of that silver shield so you can compare the design to mine.