Chanels Gabrielle Handbag

Stamped "Made In France" on their antique brass back-plates like the initial unbranded couture costume-jewelry since 1924 commissioned by French Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel for her clien...

When Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was at her peak during the Art-Deco period as a Parisian couture-fashion designer in the early 1930s and working closely with her favorite jewelry parurier Fulco di Verdura, this one-of-a-kind handcrafted gem-fringed medallion brooch, with 18k-yellow-gold circle-rope flexible thick chain dangling from an ornate open-work curvilinear base on the reverse, was commissioned by her to accessorize one of her clothing designs. Marked only "FRANCE" on the bar pin with a trombone clasp like some early 1930s Chanel couture jewelry (mostly without a brand stamp until the mid-1950s), its artistry reflects Verdura's colorful organic-form starburst sketches (see our photo of one of them). The Sicilian duke began creating fabric patterns for Chanel in 1927, which shortly expanded to executing fine jewelry beginning with custom pieces for herself. These included the iconic Byzantine-influenced gem-adorned cuffs referencing the Maltese-military cross, which the French designer can often be seen wearing in circa-1930s photos. This brooch design suits goldsmith Verdura's early anti-Art-Deco asymmetrical aesthetic that was considered a radical departure from 1920s silver-tone geometric jewelry, which otherwise featured linear designs or figurative representation. The softly-shaped deconstructed gem-bouquet mixes amethyst and rose-quartz beads with natural Keshi pearls and intricate tiny gilt leaves, which are discreetly wired to a Baroque-motif frame that dangles a round gem surrounded by a flexible rope-chain halo. Significantly, Verdura is credited with re-introducing since Victorian times the rope motif to jewelry. Since 1930, Verdura's unique style was influenced by travels with Chanel to explore Byzantine art, Baroque architecture, and the exotic flora-and-fauna among his native Italian aristocratic estate. The legendary fashion-editor Diane Vreeland and American entertainment-stars were among the first Chanel clients to acquire couture real-gem-adorned jewelry made by Verdura, while one of the two brooches treasured by Vreeland was titled "Theodora". See our photo of the Byzantine mosaic of Empress Theodora, whose image wearing many teardrop pearls and colorful gems above her chest with her head surrounded by a golden halo could have inspired this brooch. As one of the most important modern-design collaborations, Chanel's close relationship with Verdura lasted largely undocumented years in Paris, until he launched his first outside jewelry venture with a Hollywood designer-boutique after emigrating to the United States in 1934. By 1939 as a financially-backed in-demand goldsmith, he founded the namesake jewelry-company Verdura in New...

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's earliest fashion motifs of camellias, hearts, and topaz are combined in this Art-Deco period tightly silk-strung metallic-glass couture set of a mixed-bead ...

Marked "Made In France" on their antique brass back-plates like the initial unbranded couture costume-jewelry commissioned by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel since 1924, these early-handcraf...

The Chanel Gabrielle bag, a tribute to the iconic Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, is presented here in a vibrant neon pink lambskin, a striking reinterpretation of Karl Lagerfeld's design. ...

Elevate your everyday style with this authentic Chanel Gabrielle Large Hobo Bag crafted in quilted beige aged calfskin and smooth black calfskin leather. Finished with Chanel’s signa...

Condition : very good Country of manufacture : Italy Material : leather Color : taupe Model : large Size : 28 x 23 x 10 cm Hologram : 2606... Authenticity card: yes jewelry : gold an...

Since 1920, French costume-jewelry glass-master Louis Rousselet was among a handful of paruriers favored by the leading Parisian couture houses, primarily Chanel. Beyond the stamped ...