The true flower of winter
12th November 2021
Epitomising the Art Nouveau movement, the jewellery of René Lalique borrows heavily from the natural world, and none more so than in the enamel and pearl necklace being sold on 18th November at Woolley and Wallis.
The renowned Parisian jeweller exhibited his creations across the world, eschewing traditional valuable gems for naturalistically coloured plique à jour enamel in delicate gold settings, emphasising craftsmanship over intrinsic value.
The fine necklace in the Jewellery sale in Salisbury includes dainty white pearls over divergent leaves, believed to embody the wood anemone or ‘Candlemas Cap’ – one of the few plants to flower in a harsh English winter. The pendant can be worn as a necklace or a brooch and comes in a fitted grey leather case, stamped for the jeweller at his Paris address of 440 Cours-la-Reine. It is expected to fetch in the region of £50,000.
It is not the first time that Lalique jewels of this type have come under the hammer in Salisbury. A diamond-set enamel pansy plaque de cou previously sold for £47,800, while an opal and diamond dragonfly brooch fetched £50,190, and a rare pâte de verre cicada brooch sold for £69,130.
