Couture1940s SchlumbergerStyle CrystalFlora Set MetallicContrast EarringsBrooch

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Couture1940s SchlumbergerStyle CrystalFlora Set MetallicContrast EarringsBrooch

About the Item

Until mid-century, fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli relied on select paruriers in Paris and New York to complete her couture collections with custom-made costume jewelry, including Jean Schlumberger since the late 1930s before he famously directed fine-jewelry creation for Tiffany & Co. This botanical-themed two-tone set of brooch and French wire-clip earrings resembles his characteristic striking metallic-contrast designs that added dimensionality to his lively organic shapes. Suiting Schlumberger, this set features hand-painted rose-gold and silver metal cast frames screwed together, with the latter accentuated by 96 clear pave-crystals to reflect the cool tones. Such designs like this originated from Schlumberger's detailed sketches on paper (see our photo of his similar museum-acquired pencil drawing), which captured the wild appearance of his natural subjects preserved in motion, such as during a breeze in flickering sunlight as this set suggests. While Schiaparelli was living in New York around WWII, Schlumberger co-founded a jewelry shop with a design studio in the city. There, his drawings were initially interpreted into costume jewelry by his childhood friend, the trained jewelry-designer Nicholas Bongar who had emigrated earlier from Europe. He became Schlumberger's business partner in 1940 and later joined him for 40 years at Tiffany & Co. Like the aforementioned drawing, the asymmetric brooch represents a double-flower head with sparkling central petals topping darker drooping ones. It is exceptionally complex with a star-like open-domed top over a convex open-work undulating bi-textured base. Its dynamic design enables a multitude of reflections and shadows to mix with the peekaboo fabric-color of the wearer's choice, while its size and rollover safety clasp suggest it may be a hat brooch. The companion earrings each intricately depict a leaf with one side of its wispy edges raised by wind. The top convex frame sparkles as if reflecting sunlight more strongly, while the slightly concave frame below it creates shadows over the darker textured base. This set was likely part of a botanical-themed parure in which only a larger piece such as a jacket-brooch, bracelet or necklace may have been signed. Unsigned gilt or enameled costume jewelry in non-precious materials by Schlumberger that were commissioned by Schiaparelli--such as buttons, clips and hat brooches--have been collected by museums from among the fashion designer's themed collections with titles. In 1938 after Schlumberger had begun designing for her, Schiaparelli debuted "Pagan", which notably included nature-themed jewelry representing leaves, blossoms and insects that remained life-long subjects of Schlumberger. After joining New York-based Tiffany & Co in 1956, Schlumberger (1907-1987) continued to revisit two-tone double-frame construction for his fine jewelry flora-and-fauna-themed collections. Therefore, some of his precious-metal feathery pieces with pave stones that were created in the later half of the twentieth century in more costly diamonds-platinum-and-gold still reflect the signature design elements of this brooch-and-earrings set down to the French-wire clips. Reflecting the curve of the ear when worn, the earrings each measure 1 1/8H x 3/4W x 1/2D inches, while the dimensions of only the brooch are in the Measurement Units section of this listing. Given the location of narrow triangular gaps precisely where intersecting posts could have been added for pierced ears, it seems that the earrings were custom-made without them. Significantly, as one gap is open on one earring and almost sealed on the other, the slight difference makes it obvious that each frame was handcrafted. Many of Schlumberger's designs and sketches are in the collection of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, which held a retrospective of his work in 1995. Volumes dedicated to his vast creations have been published since 1976, when some were written by Franco Maria Ricci. As further evidence of his importance in the history of jewelry, Schulmberger remains among the few by-lined designers to have been allowed to sign creations for Tiffany & Co, while the others include Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and Frank Gehry. Schlumberger's rarest works are unsigned early pieces including those for Schiaparelli.

Metal:
Gilt Metal,Base Metal,Silver,Rose Gold
Stone:
Crystal
Stone Cut:
Rose Cut
Dimensions:
Width: 1.5 in (38.1 mm)Depth: 0.75 in (19.05 mm)Length: 1.75 in (44.45 mm)
Sold As:
Set of 3
Style:
Artisan
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1940s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3244218272152