Z is for Zoo (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 30, 2017

And so we come to the final letter in the A to Z Challenge. I have chosen Zoo in order to present some of the gorgeous but less commonly seen creatures that have inspired works of Art Nouveau craftsmanship.

tademagallery.com

Jugendstil Eagle Pendant

tademagallery.com

Cat Purse Pendant. Silver plique-a-jour enamel. Meyer and Meyle, circa 1900.

vandenbosch.co,uk

A silver, pearl, and plique-à-jour enamel pendant modeled as a duck in flight, by Meyle & Mayer, circa 1900.

vsemart.com

Sterling Silver Art Nouveau Frog Brooch.

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Art Nouveau Cat Comb

etsy.com

Art Nouveau Horse Pendant. Vintage Brass.

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Les Trois Crabes – An important Art Nouveau brooch, by Georges Fouquet. Composed of gold, plique-à-jour enamel, diamonds and pearl. Signed GF twice on brooch frame and pin. French, circa 1900.

Creatures of mythology also figure prominently in art nouveau motifs.

langantiques.com

18k Art Nouveau Dragon Pendant.

fashionistatattoos.com

“Gargoyle” pendant/brooch. Gold, enamel, baroque pearl. Rene Lalique, 1989.

joiencis.com

French carved gold and diamond gryphon brooch.

Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure into the world of Art Nouveau. I’m very grateful for your likes, comments, and follows.

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Y is for Yearning (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 29, 2017

Of all the pieces of art nouveau treasure I have seen in the course of this Challenge, these are the ones that I truly yearn to possess!

www,skinnerinc.com

Gold, sapphire, and plique-a-jour enamel pendant. Marcus & Co.

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Enamel brooch set with diamonds, circa 1905.

nelsonrarities.com

Plique-a-jour diamond, gold and platinum pendant.

http://www.skinnerinc.com

Jugendstil brooch. Silver, moonstone, and glass. German maker’s mark, probably Pforzheim.

sothebysaustralia.com.au

Of celestial design, the half moon-shaped black opal surmounted by a star motif accented with circular-cut diamond suspending an oval black opal surmounted by similarly set stars further suspending three lines of diamonds each terminating in an opal, completed by a trace link chain, brooch detachable, the opals together weighing approximately 14.50 carats, mounted in 15ct gold.

 

finescrollsaw.com

fairyblingmother.blogspot.com

Yes, the jellyfish earrings. How could I possibly pass these up?

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Gold, diamonds, sapphires, and pearls.

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T for Tiara (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 24, 2017

jewelsdujour.com

‘Forget-me-nots’ tiara Designed and made by Paul Gabriel Liénard (born 1849) Paris. About 1905. Horn, gold, diamonds and pearls. Qatar Museums Authority © Albion Art

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A cyclamen tiara by Faberge. In the late 19th Century it was quite fashionable to have tiaras that could also be worn as necklaces.

coloreddiamond.info

House/Maker Henri Sandoz Period Art Nouveau circa 1900. Origin Paris, France. Setting Yellow and green gold, unsigned.

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A belle epoque diamond and pearl aigrette, circa 1900, by Cartier. A tiara that can be hung with either sixteen pear-shaped diamonds and sixteen similarly shaped natural pearls. Though the diamond version does have an extra pear-shaped diamond that hangs down to rest on the forehead. (Don’t you just love having that kind of flexibility in your bling?)

beautyblingjewelry.tumblr.com

A unusual belle epoque tiara, 1900, by Boucheron. In some ways a very Art Nouveau design, with large diamond leaves intertwining sinuously with diamond berries.

sothebys.com

Gold, enamel, and mother of pearl. Made by A & J Smith, United Kingdom, circa 1900.

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Gold, enamel, pearls and diamonds. Rene Lalique, France, circa 1900.

 

S is for Snakes (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 22, 2017

1stdibs.com

Gold, enamel, emerald, and diamond. French, 1900.

http://www.skinnerinc.com

Art Nouveau 18kt Gold, Opal, and Demantoid Garnet Necklace, designed as writhing serpents with five bezel-set opals, the central opal with demantoid garnet accents.

http://www.rubylane.com

Double snake belt buckle in sterling silver, set with a garnet.

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By Philippe Wolfers. Belgium, 1898.

books.google.com

Snake hand bag. Chased silver, antelope skin, silk, and metallic thread. Rene Lalique, circa 1903.

graysantiques.com

A serpent drinking from a basin. 18k gold, platinum, emerald, and diamond.

rialique.com

A female profile bordered by serpents. Plique-a-jour enamel, gold, opal, and pearl. Rene Lalique, circa 1900.

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Art nouveau gold and enamel ear pendants by Rene Lalique, 1900-1902.

rocaille.it

Medusa paperweight. Rene Lalique.

 

 

 

P is for Pocket Watch (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 19, 2017

jewelry.ha.com

Swiss Gold Diamond and Pearl Pendant Watch circa 1905.

damedebeaute.tumblr.com.

Gold, cabochon emerald, diamond and green enamel lapel watch. Marcus & Co., circa 1900.

1stdibs.com

Museum Quality Enamel and Gem set Lapel Watch by Haas Neveux. 18K Yellow Gold with Fine enamel, gold chasing and accented with numerous Rose cut Diamonds. Stem set Jeweled Nickel lever movement. Porcelain Dial with sunk seconds chapter and Gold hands. Matching case and Movement Numbers and also having the name of Boston Retailer Smith Patterson & co engraved on the movement.

dupuis.ca

Gold and enamel lapel watch, circa 1900.

pinterest.com

Art Nouveau 18kt Gold, Enamel, and Diamond Open Face Pendant Watch, the case with enamel flowers and rose-cut diamonds, the cuvette with guilloche enamel, hammered gold accents, the white enamel dial with Arabic numeral indicators and subsidiary seconds dial, stem-wind and stem-set, 27 mm, and suspended from a conforming watch pin, total lg. 2 1/2 in.

ebay.com

Antique art nouveau Moon Celestial Pocket Watch holder stand. Solid bronze.

 

L is for Leaves (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 14, 2017

sandra.rimskaya.livejournal.com

A gold brooch with emerald drops, old European-cut diamonds, and green and light pink plique-a-jour enamel. Marcus & Co., circa 1900.

drouot-estimations.com

A sterling silver ring with two ginko leaves holding a mother of pearl. Dumont, circa 1900.

christies.com

A brooch in the shape of Birch leaves and seedlings, made of enamel and horn.

li.ru

Gold, enamel, diamond and peridot “Ivy” brooch. Likely Austrian, circa 1900.

sothebys.com

Leaf Brooch by Lalique. Gold, plique-a-jour enamel, and sapphire. 2 1/8 x 1 inch.

ellyap.blogspot.com

Water Lily leaf hair combs in green tinted horn with moonstones.

redrobinantiques.com

Iridescent enamel leaves accented with fresh water pearls. This pendant is likely the work of Meyle and Mayer, a German firm.

 

 

I is for Insect (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 11, 2017

lisak.net.pl

A butterfly with a cushion-cut aquamarine and cabochon opal body, extending blue and green plique-a-jour enamel wings, enhanced by cabochon rubies and calibre-cut emeralds, accented by a collet-set diamond and gold wirework detail, mounted in gold. Boucheron, 1900.

Bentley & Skinner

A Victorian moonstone and diamond beetle brooch, the body of the beetle brooch set with cabochon-cut moonstones, the head and central streak of the body set with old brilliant-cut diamonds, estimated to weigh a total of 0.6 carats, with cabochon-cut ruby eyes, all set to a yellow gold back and sword with pearl set to the handle. Circa 1890.

jewelry-sale

An Art Nouuveau gold, enamel, and opal scarf clip. Georges Fouquet, 1900s. Centering on an opal cicada set between open work enamel ivy leaves.

sothebys.com

Sprigs of mistletoe set with circular and rose-cut diamonds, highlighted with pearls, to a central knife edge work web with a spider, its head a circular-cut diamond and its abdomen a similarly cut diamond of brown tint.

If you like spider jewelry (shudder!), you might enjoy this.

1stdibs.com

Brooch with stylized bees. Natural pearls, green enamel, and 18k gold.

V and A Collections

Gold and enamel brooch in the shape of a flower and a hornet, made by Georges Fouquet and designed by Charles Desrosiers. Paris, France, 1901.

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H is for Hair (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 10, 2017

For those who don’t know me, I have long hair all the way down to my hips. My romance heroines have long hair. That’s appropriate to the time periods I prefer, plus there is a lot more romantic potential in grooming long hair, pinning it up, letting it tumble down, etc.

The jewelers who favored Art Nouveau designs enjoyed working with women’s hair, whether up, down, or something entirely different!

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Art Nouveau pendant “Poésie” by Paul and Henri Vever, Paris, circa 1900

http://www.rubylane.com

Unger Bros., sterling silver brooch, circa 1900.

kart773.ru

Gold, enamel, diamond, emerald, pearl.

tademagallery.com

Gilded silver locket with chalcedony. German, 1900.

http://www.skinnerinc.com

Sterling silver brooch. Unger Bros.

boston.com

Gold, enamel, diamond, and pearl. French, 1900.

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E is for Earrings (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 6, 2017

Earrings are by far my favorite form of jewelry. I like to make them and  I love to wear them. It took a real effort to settle on just a few fabulous Art Nouveau sets to display here!

fairyblingmother.blogspot.com

Yes, these are indeed jellyfish!

http://www.christies.com

Plique-a-jour enamel, drop-shaped opals, set in gold. Designer Georges Fouquet

Walker Metalsmiths Celtic Jewelry

Sterling silver Celtic teardrop earrings.

tobylynngems

Peacock blue opals, diamonds, and sapphires set in gold.

sothebys.com

Enamel and pearl pendant earrings.

tademagallery.com

Moonstones, sapphires, and diamonds set in gold.

http://www.rubylane.com

Handcrafted in rose and green 14k gold and set with round and drop shaped sparkling golden green Uralian chrysolites.

 

D is for Dragonflies (Art Nouveau – #AtoZChallenge)

by Lillian Csernica on April 5, 2017

Another common motif in Art Nouveau is the dragonfly, particularly in the creations of master jeweler Rene Lalique. His name is synonymous with all that is best in Art Nouveau.

From The Jewellry Editor:

The dragonfly embodied many of the themes that the Art Nouveau style evoked: nature; sensuality; metamorphosis from one physical form to another; and a more fantastical approach as in the case of Lalique’s dragonflies turning into women.

indulgy.com

Sterling silver art nouveau dragonfly ring.

fotki.yandex.ru

 

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Gold and blue sapphires.

 

artnouveau.soup.io

 

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A small, round, moulded-pressed opalescent glass box.

marinni.livejournal.com

Tiara: enameled dragonflies all flying toward a large aquamarine.

nuvomagazine.com

Detailed view of the aquamarine and dragonfly tiara.

art-nouveau.livejournal.com

Gold dragonfly pitcher by Emile Galle.

There are so many lovely examples of dragonfly art in the world of Art Nouveau. I have room to show only a few. I hope these will encourage you to explore the world of Lalique and his talented contemporaries!

 

 

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