Fantastic Postmodern Gold Brooch with a Glass Cameo & Diamonds, c. 1985

The 1980s loved to make a big splash when it came to design. It was the era of leather-upholstered lounges, mirrored dance floors, neon lights, and music that echoed through the discos until the early hours of the morning. In Aachen, for example, the social crowd gathered at the legendary Club Zero beneath the casino. Triangular mirrors reflected the light of the moving spotlights, while black wall sconces created stark contrasts against the transparent dance floor illuminated from below. This extraordinary, large brooch seems to come straight from that world. At its center is a glass cameo with a mythological motif in deep ruby red. It depicts Hebe, the cupbearer of the gods, together with Zeus in the form of an eagle. The motif belongs to the great narratives of antiquity and combines youthful beauty with divine power. For centuries, artists have drawn on the scene in which Zeus approaches Hebe to partake of her food. The classical depiction is not rendered here in a historicizing manner, but translated into a design that is wholly committed to the 1980s. Two triangles of black glass pierce the soft form of the oval frame like arrowheads pointing up and down. Clear geometry meets ancient mythology; strong contrasts meet elegant lines. Four diamond-set sections add extra sparkle to the design crafted from solid gold and, like small flashes of light, create accents between the bold color fields. It is precisely this surprising approach to historical models that gives the brooch its special appeal. Antiquity is not copied here, but reinterpreted. The scene of Hebe and Zeus does not appear as a delicate shell cameo in muted colours, but as a bright red glass composition with dramatic effect. Postmodern designers loved such breaks with tradition. They freely drew on the forms of past centuries, combined them with modern materials, and created something entirely new. History was not reverently preserved, but reinterpreted. Perhaps that is why the brooch is so reminiscent of the dance-filled nights of those years. Of the moments when light refracts in the mirrors, the beat fills the room, and the outside world is forgotten for a few hours. It combines glamour and individuality, past and present. Futuristic geometry meets ancient mythology; precious diamonds meet bright red glass. Contrasts are not resolved, but deliberately staged.

Estimation:€5,980

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