Unusual Art Nouveau necklace with moonstones in silver, circa 1905

Nightshade

Unusual Art Nouveau necklace with moonstones in silver, circa 1905

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

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

Probably no other country is more associated with the sweeping, elegant forms of Art Nouveau than France. Hector Guimard designed the famous metro stations for Paris, and Lalique created the great works of Art Nouveau jewelry here around c. 1900 - many of them so artistic that they were intended less to be worn than to be looked at. However, it was in Germany, or more precisely in Pforzheim, that Art Nouveau experienced the democratization of forms in the field of jewellery. Here, in southern Germany, hundreds of large and small jewelry companies supplied the whole of Europe with jewellery in the latest forms, but often made of cheaper materials than the jewelers from Paris. The necklace presented here is one such piece of "costume jewelry" from Pforzheim in the Art Nouveau style. A flat, shield-shaped pendant, also made of silver, is mounted on a delicate silver chain. Its surface is martelized, i.e. decorated with a hammered pattern. Geometric areas of black enamel form a frame around a large, shimmering moonstone. Another, smaller moonstone is attached at the bottom and can be moved. Two further moonstones are set into the graduated chain. The design is typical of the products from Pforzheim. It is two-dimensional and shows a hand for geometry, and at the same time it is made of beautiful but rather inexpensive materials. The style has a vaguely medieval feel, as is often characteristic of British Arts and Crafts, in the wake of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites. Unfortunately, the enamel of the pendant is somewhat damaged in places and has already been restored. Nevertheless, the piece still retains much of its very special, somewhat dark, dreamy aura. Further information on Pforzheim jewellery in French and German Art Nouveau forms can be found in the wonderfully illustrated volume by Fritz Falk: Jugendstil-Schmuck aus Pforzheim, Stuttgart 2008, as well as the catalog Alltagstauglich - Schmuck von Jugendstil bis Art Déco, Die Sammlung Ratz-Coradazzi, exhibition catalog of the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt 2019. Further information on Pforzheim Art Nouveau jewelry can be found with examples in Deutsche und österreichische Schmuckarbeiten 1900-1960, edited by Beate Dry-v.Zezschwitz and Graham Dry, Munich 1991, p. 8ff. There also numerous examples of manufactory marks and hallmarks.

Size & Details

Nightshade

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

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.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more

Nightshade

Chains & Necklaces

Privacy settings