Large Diamond, Coral and Lapis Brooch after a Model by Boucheron, c. 1985
Fashions and styles come and go, but it is rarely possible to pinpoint a single date on which a new style entered the stage of history. This is not the case with Art Déco, as it was born on May 16, 1925, with the opening of the great Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs in Paris. What had previously been on display here and there in workshops and studios was now gathered together in one place and entered the consciousness of contemporaries with such force that it quickly became clear: Something new had emerged here, the very art that is known today by the name of the exhibition: Art Déco.The objects exhibited in Paris in 1925 were the prototypes of this new style. Many of the Parisian jewelry houses participated with precious designs, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Boucheron. The latter Maison presented some large, impressive designs with rich settings of cut gemstones and diamonds. Lucien Hirtz had designed the pieces of jewellery especially for the exhibition and the vibrant colours and geometric design he chose made them a perfect example of the new style. The brooch shown here is modeled on a devant-de-corsage by Hirtz for Boucheron. The design shows a kind of large bow, divided in the middle by a lapis lazuli clasp, from which two identical elements extend symmetrically to the right and left. Arches of diamonds in white gold structure the surface, which is set with fields of onyx, coral, amazonite and lapis lazuli. The jade, lapis, onyx and coral model is slightly larger than this brooch: the fact that slightly different materials were used (e.g. amazonite instead of jade and modern brilliant-cut diamonds instead of single-cut diamonds) shows that this is a modern re-creation. However, it follows the historical model very closely and has been crafted with no less astonishing finesse. We display our brooch next to an image of the original. Our brooch was made in Vienna, as the gold stamps on the back show; we think in the 1980s. But even though the brooch is about a third smaller than the original, it is still impressive. We were able to acquire the brooch from a large collection of high-quality jewelry from Stuttgart. It is in very good condition and a great pleasure to own. The illustration of the model by Boucheron can be found in Sylvie Raulet: Schmuckellerie. Art Déco, Munich 1985, [p. 137]. A contemporary overview of the jewellery exhibited in Paris in 1925 can be found in the special edition of the magazine Le Grand Negoce from 1925, which can be viewed online here.
Estimation:€11,980
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