Art Nouveau Opal Diamond Gold Byzantine Princess Diadem Tiara

About the Item

Illustrated in our book: Beatriz Chadour-Sampson & Sonya Newell-Smith, Tadema Gallery London Jewellery from the 1860s to 1960s, Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Stuttgart 2021, cat. no. 231 The diadem is unmarked, but undoubtedly French and possibly by Georges Fouquet or Maison Vever. The design of the female head is reminiscent of drawings and posters by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, who worked closely with Georges Fouquet designing jewellery whilst he was living in Paris. Mucha was much influenced by Byzantine culture and made a series titled 'Byzantine heads' (1896-1898) in which he depicted female heads with fantastical headgear, as seen here, with the two roundels covering the ear and long gold dangling pendants, cf. In Commemoration of the 150th Memorial Birth Alphonse Mucha, exhibition in Japan 2010/11.

Metal:
18k Gold
Stone:
Diamond,Opal
Stone Cut:
Old European Cut
Dimensions:
Width: 4.18 in (106 mm)Depth: 1.66 in (42 mm)
Style:
Art Nouveau
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1900-1909
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1900
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 72041stDibs: LU3641214512