LALIQUE
An important oversized bow brooch, 1882 -1889
Further images
Realistically designed as a ribbon bow, set throughout with old-cut diamonds mounted in gold-backed platinum, the pendent elements composed of articulated sections, circa 1882 - 1899, makers mark for renowned...
Realistically designed as a ribbon bow, set throughout with old-cut diamonds mounted in gold-backed platinum, the pendent elements composed of articulated sections, circa 1882 - 1899, makers mark for renowned jeweller René Lalique, together with its original Tiffany & Co box. Dimensions: 25 x 8cm, weight 78.6 grams.
Accompanied by IAJA Expertise report number XP1293-300623 dated June 30, 2023 confirming the opinion of the former director of Tiffany & Co. Archives that this diamond bow brooch was bought from Rene Lalique by Tiffany & Co. and sold by them during the period 1882 - 1899.
Note:
The end of the 19th Century was an age of glory for jewellery manufacture and innovation. You need only take a cursory glance through the pages of Henri Vever or Eugene Fontenay’s tomes from the period to get a feel for the pride they both felt regarding the position of French jewellery historically and globally. This was not in France alone and it was not vain delusion.
Within his puffed out chest, Henri Vever held very dearly the renowned French jeweller René Lalique. The name René Lalique would go on to be synonymous with Art Nouveau and renowned for the ethereal creations he brought to life after 1900. However Vever and his contemporaries already held Lalique in high regard for his designs in the Empire taste. This bow is an exceptional example of the prowess Lalique displayed from the outset of his career. When he began his dealings with Tiffany & Co. in 1882 he was only 22 years old.
The size of this brooch is important, it is not a jewel conceived with timidity or humility even. The bow design itself was by no means employed by Lalique alone. Towards the 20th Century, Cartier was perhaps most known for its large bow brooch designs destined for the devant de corsages of Europe's elite. However this bow is different. It's not a puffy lace-like flat bow, as was the tendency, but a fluid ribbon with breathtaking realism whose harmonious asymmetry reflects a sensitive observation that Lalique would become so well-known for in his studies of flora and fauna.
And it is no surprise that Tiffany & Co. were involved. A temple of American refinement on Madison, Tiffany was at the forefront of bringing the very best of French taste and manufacture to the hungry industrial fortunes of the USA. This brooch is a perfect example of the reason ‘made in France’ held so much cachet.
Accompanied by IAJA Expertise report number XP1293-300623 dated June 30, 2023 confirming the opinion of the former director of Tiffany & Co. Archives that this diamond bow brooch was bought from Rene Lalique by Tiffany & Co. and sold by them during the period 1882 - 1899.
Note:
The end of the 19th Century was an age of glory for jewellery manufacture and innovation. You need only take a cursory glance through the pages of Henri Vever or Eugene Fontenay’s tomes from the period to get a feel for the pride they both felt regarding the position of French jewellery historically and globally. This was not in France alone and it was not vain delusion.
Within his puffed out chest, Henri Vever held very dearly the renowned French jeweller René Lalique. The name René Lalique would go on to be synonymous with Art Nouveau and renowned for the ethereal creations he brought to life after 1900. However Vever and his contemporaries already held Lalique in high regard for his designs in the Empire taste. This bow is an exceptional example of the prowess Lalique displayed from the outset of his career. When he began his dealings with Tiffany & Co. in 1882 he was only 22 years old.
The size of this brooch is important, it is not a jewel conceived with timidity or humility even. The bow design itself was by no means employed by Lalique alone. Towards the 20th Century, Cartier was perhaps most known for its large bow brooch designs destined for the devant de corsages of Europe's elite. However this bow is different. It's not a puffy lace-like flat bow, as was the tendency, but a fluid ribbon with breathtaking realism whose harmonious asymmetry reflects a sensitive observation that Lalique would become so well-known for in his studies of flora and fauna.
And it is no surprise that Tiffany & Co. were involved. A temple of American refinement on Madison, Tiffany was at the forefront of bringing the very best of French taste and manufacture to the hungry industrial fortunes of the USA. This brooch is a perfect example of the reason ‘made in France’ held so much cachet.