The Queen's Jeweller

Magnificent Enamelled Pearl Bracelet, Jules Chaise For Mellerio Dits Meller, Paris, c. 1845

€ 7,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Magnificent Enamelled Pearl Bracelet, Jules Chaise For Mellerio Dits Meller, Paris, c. 1845

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

If you wanted to buy jewellery in Paris in the 1840s, there was one address you couldn't forego: Rue de la Paix. This is where the Mellerio dits Meller family's store was (and still is) located. The company has been in the family without interruption since it was founded in 1613; the workshop and salesrooms have been located on Rue de la Paix since 1815. Mellerio not only supplied Maria de' Medici and Marie Antoinette, but also Empress Joséphine and Marie-Amélie, the wife of Louis-Philippe. Even after the end of the monarchy, the company remained a guarantee for the best workmanship and designs. The company maintains its own workshops, but also sells selected works by other goldsmiths. This bracelet is from the company's range. It wraps around the arm in an elegantly curved row of precious knots. High-carat gold is covered with royal blue enamel and shimmering white pearls. The result is a feast of surfaces: Shiny enamel and shimmering pearls, hand-applied engravings in the gold and, as a further highlight of the craftsmanship, a band of gold that looks like it has been knitted. The knots designed with the greatest artistry and the coloring of the piece reveal its creation in the mid-19th century. Knots were in vogue as a sentimental symbol of attachment and love. However, there are other clues to the period of origin. The bracelet has been preserved in its original, matching case. A label is attached to the underside of the case: "Mellerio dits Meller, Père et Fils. Bijouteriers de S. M. la Reine. Rue de la Paix No. 5." Not only does it prove that the bracelet actually comes from the traditional house's range, but the indication "Supplier to the Queen's Court" is also important: France only had a queen in the 19th century between the July Revolution of 1830 and the February Revolution of 1848: Marie Amélie, the wife of Louis-Philippe. As the bracelet also bears the gold stamp, the so-called petite garantie of the Paris Assay Office, which was only introduced in 1838, the bracelet was therefore created in the period between 1838 and 1848. What also makes the ribbon special is that the goldsmith who made it is also known! It was created by Jules Chaise (1807-1870), whose specialty was knot shapes inlaid with enamel. His maker's mark is stamped on the clasp of the band. The great standard work on 19th century French jewellery, Henri Vever: La bijouterie française au XIXe siècle (1800-1900), 3 vols., Paris 1906-1908, here vol. 1: Consulate - Empire - Restoration - Louis-Philippe. 1800-1850, Paris 1906, pp. 304-309, reproduces some of Chaise's designs. They clearly show the same formal language that characterizes this bracelet. Vever's work can be viewed online at this link. Another very beautiful bracelet by Chaise can be found, for example, in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, see here. We discovered the bracelet with its original case in Paris.

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In the middle of the 19th century, Paris was once again the center of the jewellery world. Politically, the times were exciting, with governments alternating between monarchy and republic. And as new elites emerged with each of these changes, with a new need for precious jewellery for representation, these were golden times for goldsmiths and jewelers.

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Size & Details

The Queen's Jeweller

€ 7,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

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