Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 7

Picture Frame Art Deco Chinese influence Enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni

$2,212.88
£1,639.41
€1,856
CA$3,031.54
A$3,363.75
CHF 1,762
MX$41,248.55
NOK 22,412.06
SEK 21,156.03
DKK 14,118.18
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

Rectangular photo frame in 925/1000 silver with geometric design and fire-enameled with Chinese influence style. External cm. Internal 11.6 x 14.6 cm. 6 x 9. Weight gr. 194. Created in Art Deco style for Cartier USA in the 1980s, inspired by drawings by Louis Cartier from the early 1900s. Manufactured in Florence in the Salimbeni company headquarters with completely manual execution by artisan artists with high thickness plate and large reinforcements suitable to support numerous high-fire enamelling firings at approximately 750° < 800° C. It is a new object that has never been used but is considered vintage because it was built more than 20 years ago. The hallmarks struck to the underside of this fine box include: manufacturer's mark: 391FI metal mark fineness:925 Art Deco was also born in France and is the abbreviation of "Art Decoratif". With more decisive and geometric features than Art Nouveau, therefore more evident and "harder", with always contrasting and strong colours, Art Deco spread throughout the world, from Shanghai's China to the under construction New York and in various parts of Europe. Many artists and designers of the time dedicated themselves to the creation of drawings, paintings, objects for personal use and furniture, interior furnishings, entire buildings and skyscrapers, in this new style. Sandoz in Paris, Lalique with its crystals, Puiforcat with its silverware, Erté with its "ante litteram" fashion designs, Tiffany with its table lamps, Louis Cartier with its objects inspired by the Far East (hence the connection with Shanghai). Salimbeni was able to interpret and propose new objects inspired by Art Deco, in precious metals, semiprecious stones and fired enamels, when, exhibiting at jewelery exhibitions in the United States, and more precisely in New York, he made contact with Cartier buyers first, and also with Tiffany later, and for them he created objects in this style inspired by the original drawings of Louis Cartier, obtained from the buyer of the time, but with absolutely different and original designs and interpretations. Many of the objects produced by Salimbeni for Cartier in the United States had taken inspiration from famous Cartier objects belonging to famous people. An example of all is Mary Pickford's set consisting of a powder compact, cigarette case, pill case and evening handbag. About cooperation Salimbeni and Cartier. Our first meetings with the Cartier USA Company took place through the Giorgini Company, the first "Buying Office" set up in Florence immediately after the Second World War, which had the purpose of bringing together Florentine, and also Italian, producers with American buyers, who especially appreciated the artistic objects still manufactured by artisans who still took inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, using techniques handed down from generation to generation. Mrs. Gina Pestelli, wife of a Florentine retail jeweller, was in charge of contacts with Cartier USA, above all an employee, while her daughter, also for Giorgini, took care of the fashion that in those years was affirmed in Florence with the events of "Pitti ". With their help, we began to supply frames and boxes in sterling silver gold plated with malachite and other semi-precious stones. At the same time, the official buyer of Cartier, Mr. William Smith, began to appreciate and commission the first objects with fired enamels, a process of which we have always been specialists. In 1975 we began exhibiting at the prestigious New York Jewellery Association Show, which we participated in both the February and July editions, for a good 26 years until 2001. In New York in those years the "Art deco style" was still very much appreciated, still mindful of the beautiful early 20th century architecture of the great buildings such as the "Crysler" or the "Empire State". We then began to produce frames, boxes, evening bags, "objets de vertu" and other objects in "art deco style" which were very popular with Mr. Smith who gave us some photocopies of Louis Francois Cartier drawings to reproduce them. Thus, numerous cigarette cases, powder compacts, evening bags, frames and table boxes were created exclusively for Cartier USA which, at the time, had the prestigious "Silver Department" on the first floor of the Cartier store on Fifth Avenue. An evening bag, with matching cigarette case and powder compact, were redone on the design created for a gift given to Mary Pickford at the time. In a 1986 Cartier catalogue, which we have, a photo of our compact was published. We still have many objects from this production and all the photos. At that time the President of Cartier USA was Mr. Ralph Destino and the property was of Mrs. Natalie Hocq. I had the pleasure of meeting them. At that time many others Italians silversmiths worked for Cartier USA. In the mid-1990s, Mrs. Natalie Hocq sold the company to her French cousins who brought everything together under the same ownership. Later we met Mrs. Hocq again in Paris where she had opened a new jewellery store, but we had no further meetings. The policy of the new French owners did not envisage maintaining the "silver department" (we don't know why, but the silverware in France ended up with Odiot and Puiforcat) and therefore the whole first floor of the building was dismantled and used for repairs of the building watchmaking. Mr. William Smith told us that we were no longer their suppliers and therefore we were no longer required to respect the exclusivity, which we have maintained in the USA for fairness.

More From This Seller

View All
Picture Frame vertical lines Art Deco style Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Giorgio Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Picture Frame vertical lines Art Decois in 925/1000 sterling silver. Picture Frame vertical lines Art Deco has white fired enamels on guilloché. Picture Frame vertical lines has two...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Art Deco Sterling Silver

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Photo Frame Black and White Enamel Squared Shape Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Giorgio Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Square photo frame in 925/1000 sterling silver with fire-enamelled Art Deco-style geometric design. External dimensions cm. 14.5 x 14.5 internal cm. 9 x 9. Weight gr. 260. Designed b...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Art Deco Sterling Silver

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Picture Frame internal border with enamelled leaves Salimbeni.
By Franco Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Behold the epitome of elegance and craftsmanship: a square table photo frame, meticulously crafted from 925/1000 gold-plated sterling silver. This masterpiece features translucent fi...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Empire Sterling Silver

Materials

Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Picture Frame in pure Florentine Renaissance style Salimbeni
By Giorgio Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Large photo frame in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with painted fire enamels like lapis lazuli stone. Shaping taken from the tiles of the North Door of the Baptistery of the F...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Renaissance Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold Plate

Small Picture Frame Rectangular for oval portrait Salimbeni
By Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular for oval photo frame in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guilloche, English style, early 1900s. External cm. 6 x 9, internal oval cm....
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Art Nouveau Sterling Silver

Materials

Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Picture Frame pearl gray enamel and hand-painted Garlands Salimbeni
By Franco Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Square photo frame in 925/1000 sterling Silver gold plated with translucent pearl gray enamel fired on guilloche and hand-painted miniature of late 19th century Viennese Art Nouveau ...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Art Nouveau Sterling Silver

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

You May Also Like

21th Century Italian Sterling Silver Gilded Enameled Frame
By Salimbeni
Located in VALENZA, IT
Silver, gilded and enamelled frame with scroll designs and blue enamels. At regular and symmetrical intervals, ovals with flower motifs different from each other were completely han...
Category

2010s Italian Other Picture Frames

Materials

Sterling Silver

Art Deco Original Reverse Painted Free Standing Picture Frame, c1930
Located in Devon, England
For your consideration is this very stylish original Art Deco free standing picture frame. The geometric patterning on the glass is reverse painted in black and silver. Very iconic ...
Category

Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Picture Frames

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

20th Century Italian Sterling Silver Gilted Enameled Frame
By Salimbeni
Located in VALENZA, IT
Sterling silver fully handmade Picture frame. Made in Italy Silver 925/1000 with translucent enamels on guilloche with hand-painted floral miniatures. Blue velvet back. Measures...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Other Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

French Art Deco Enamel and Silver Picture Frame
Located in Queens, NY
French Art Deco small silver plate and easel picture frame with red, blue and turquoise enamel trim.
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Easels

Materials

Silver, Enamel

Art Deco Chrome Picture Frame, France, c1930's
Located in Devon, England
Super stylish 1930's Art Deco Modernist picture frame in chrome and glass. Signed to the base f. Gallia, The frame has two pieces of glass whic...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Picture Frames

Materials

Chrome

Antique Art Deco Sterling Silver & Enamel Photo Frame, England c.1920
Located in London, GB
This antique sterling silver and enamel frame features a beautiful, almost pearl-like translucent lilac enamel decoration. Fully hallmarked as shown, the maker is Herbert Scott Mur...
Category

Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Picture Frames

Materials

Sterling Silver, Enamel