Carved emerald and diamond flower brooch, Sifen Chang. Photo: Sotheby's.
Designed as two joined flowers, the petals formed of pear-shaped carved emeralds weighing a total of approximately 53.70 carats, the centers set with clusters of small round diamonds, mounted in 18 karat white gold, signed with Chinese characters for Sifen. With signed box.
Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. New York | 04 Dec 2007. http://www.sothebys.com
Laurent Le Deunff, Coquillage 1, 2012. Papier mâché, ciment et socle en acier. 71 × 132 × 80 cm. Courtesy 40mcube, Rennes, © Laurent Le Deunff
Rennes - L'exposition «Archeologia» fait référence aux projets muséaux qui valorisent des aspects vernaculaires, naturels ou scientifiques d'une époque, d'un territoire. Ici c'est l'archéologie, discipline fondée sur l'étude des objets quelles que soient leur datation et leur localisation, qui rassemble les œuvres présentées.
Ainsi, le musée de géologie, dans lequel est présentée au dessus des vitrines des collections la série de 25 peintures commanditées aux peintres Mathurin Méheut et Yvonne Jean-Haffen par l'Institut de géologie en 1941, est associéà«Archeologia» comme une étape de ce parcours entre les époques.
Au Frac Bretagne, l'exposition pensée comme un compte-rendu archéologique d'une certaine production contemporaine présente des œuvres ayant l'apparence d'objets anciens, de collectes et de collections, d'études d'un lieu ou d'une histoire. Les artistes se réfèrent à cette discipline scientifique et suggèrent une archéologie de l'art, reconnaissant ou attribuant un statut artistique à des objets ou des actions souvent considérés comme relevant du quotidien ou du rituel. Ils utilisent des techniques ancestrales, reproduisent des formes ou des actes du passé avec des matériaux d'aujourd'hui, créent de nouvelles formes ou abordent des questions liées à l'archéologie en adoptant les méthodes et les dispositifs de présentation qui lui sont propres comme la fouille, la collecte, l'archive, la vitrine...
Ann Guillaume prolonge ce processus en présentant au Musée des beaux-arts un film tourné pour l'occasion dans les collections d'archéologie du musée, ainsi que 50 sculptures créées à partir d'un motif extrait d'un tableau de la collection, Cylindre d'or de Paul Sérusier.
À 40mcube, l'exposition propose une faille temporelle liée à la fois à l'architecture et à l'usage du lieu. L'œuvre de Christophe Sarlin divise l'espace d'une cimaise-faille renvoyant à des comparatifs de graphiques économiques. Daphné Navarre s'intéresse à la programmation des expositions. Sur le principe des codes utilisés pour les fouilles, elle fait ressurgir une sélection d'œuvres ayant été exposées dans cet espace. La vidéo de Benoît Maire présente une manipulation d'objets de mesure non identifiés, renvoyant à l'aspect énigmatique et esthétique de l'archéologie. Louise Hervé et Chloé Maillet nous amènent vers le futur en inventant un épisode archéologique à partir d'un fait avéré…
L'œuvre de Lara Almarcegui, qui prend place sur un bâtiment de l'Université de Rennes 1, étend ce rapport au bâti et à son vécu à l'échelle d'un territoire construit. Elle réalise un inventaire des matériaux de construction des bâtiments composant le campus Beaulieu.
Chacune à leur manière, par l'objet, l'image, l'action, les œuvres rassemblées dans «Archeologia» partent d'un ancrage historique et documentaire pour écrire une fiction, en toute subjectivité. L'exposition dans son ensemble en est également une, que le visiteur sillonne, traversant physiquement et conceptuellement des lieux hypothétiques, des périodes préhistoriques et historiques non précisées jusqu'à nos jours. Ces artistes, créateurs de vestiges qui sèmeront certainement le doute chez les archéologues du futur, leur apporteront également de précieuses informations sur l'importance de l'histoire, de l'archéologie et de la géologie dans l'art du début du XXIe siècle.
Autres lieux d'exposition d'«Archeologia»:
— Frac Bretagne, 19, avenue André Mussat, 35011 Rennes.
— Musée des beaux-arts, 20, quai Émile Zola, 35000 Rennes
— Musée de géologie de l'Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, bâtiment 5, 263, avenue du Général Leclerc, 35000 Rennes
Beat Lippert, Duplication 11, 2012, 4500 pierres en résine, 750 × 325 cm. Courtesy TMproject, Genève, © Beat Lippert
Armand Morin, Ruiné, 2010. Ciment, structure en bois, mousse et grillage. 400 × 75 × 75 cm. Courtesy 40mcube, Rennes, © Armand Morin
Benoît-Marie Moriceau, Cutter Crusher (Forward Compatibility), 2012. Plâtre synthétic, sédiments, poudre de marbre, ciment blanc, pigments naturels. 240 × 140 × 50 cm. Courtesy galerie Mélanie Rio, Nantes, © Benoît-Marie Moriceau, Photo: Frank Bertrand.
Wilfrid Almendra, Concrete Gardens (Eagles I & II), 2010. Marbre, béton. 172 x 26 x 26 cm. Courtesy Galerie Bugada & Cargnel, Paris, © Wilfrid Almendra, Photo: Martin Argyroglo.
Exquisite multi-gem pictorial brooch designed as a circular openwork plaque depicting a bird in flight surrounded by applied enamel branches, ruby and sapphire flowers and emerald leaves with a diamond-set border Lacloche Frères, Paris, circa 1930. Photo courtesy Hancocks & Co (Jewellers) Ltd.
Unusual sculptural design necklace designed as layers of cuboids each with a ruby terminal Boucheron, Paris, circa 1935. Photo courtesy Hancocks & Co (Jewellers) Ltd.
Fantastic 18ct yellow gold necklace designed as a stylised foliate chain with a further fringe of diamond-set leaf motifs, Cartier, Paris, c1950s. Photo courtesy Hancocks & Co (Jewellers) Ltd.
Hilat. Ruvo Necklace. Image courtesy of Hilat
A true work of art, four unique shapes representing power, beauty and fertility are hand cast with pure molten gold. These charms are then connected with a three-layered handwoven chain.
Completely Handcrafted 24K Pure Gold Hellenistic Necklace Decorated with The Faces of the Ancient Greek Sea God, Fleur-De-Lys and Masts Linked to its Chain.
A very rare celadon-ground Famille-Rose vase, Qianlong seal mark and period. Photo: Sotheby's.
the globular body surmounted by a tall waisted neck, brightly enameled with an elaborate stylized design of lotus sprays bearing multi-colored blooms linked by meandering vines, flanked by a band of lappets around the base and a border of pink and blue ruyi heads encircling the shoulders, the neck decorated on each side with a gilded musical chime suspended from an iron-red bat flanked by a pair of blue chilong among further foliage encircling the two animal's head handles, the everted rim of barbed outline formed as a clothlike canopy of stiff leaves alternating with ruyi motifs to match the border around the gently splayed foot, with gilding around the rim and outline, the base of the neck and around the foot, base with seal mark in iron-red. Estimation 500,000 - 800,000 USD
Notes: This vase embodies the technical precision and innovation that is characteristic of fine Qianlong porcelain. The inclusion of animal-head handles, a canopy-like mouth and a celadon ground endow the otherwise familiar vase with a striking sculptural quality. In the hands of a lesser-skilled craftsman the outcome could have been an incoherent construction; however the expertise of the present craftsman lies in his ability to combine the various elements through a carefully composed design and placement of color to create a refined and harmonious vase. Examples of the meticulous planning involved for this piece include the sinuous lines of the scrolling fronds and archaistic dragons which echo the shape of the vase, and the use of pink enamel to draw the eye from the top and down through the neck to the central lotus and around the body. The light celadon ground flecked with gilt-painted details also adds to the sumptuousness of the piece. A closely related pair of vases, but lacking the refinement of the present piece, was sold in our London rooms, 10th July 1979, lot 182. Compare also a celadon-glaze vase of this shape and molded with a similar design sold at Christie’s New York, 24th March 2004, lot 238; and a blue and white example with ringed handles published in The Mountain Resort Treasures, Beijing, 1997, pl. 23.
Only a small number of porcelain vases potted with this down-turned mouth are known, probably due to the technical difficulty involved in creating such a piece successfully. It is particularly effective on the present vase which is reminiscent of canopies used to shade the royal family, capturing a sense of movement through its slightly tapering form and the pink enamel which pools gently on the points between the ruyi heads. Further famille-rose decorated examples of Qianlong vases with pendent ruyi-shaped mouths include one decorated with a band of figures between floral scrolls on a turquoise ground, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 120; and a ruby-ground vase painted with lotus scrolls, from the Baur collection, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. 240. See also a Jiaqing example, elaborately decorated with lotus scrolls on a yellow ground, from the Alfred Morrison collection and Fonthill Heirlooms, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 2981.
Compare also blue and white decorated Qianlong vases with this distinctive mouth, such as one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum. Blue and White Ware of the Ch’ing Dynasty II, Hong Kong, 1968, pl. 10; another sold at Christie’s London, 11th July 2006, lot 142; and a pair of vases sold at Christie’s London, 11th May 2010, lot 217.
The inspiration for down-turned mouths of this type may originate from the Song dynasty. Vases produced at the Jun and Cizhou kilns are known with shaped, similarly everted rims; see a Jun vase with a foliate mouth, from the Eumorfopoulos collection and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated in Rose Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, pl. 22; and one of several Cizhou examples included in the exhibition Charm of Black and White Ware: Transition of Cizhou Type Wares, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 2002, cat. no. 3. This form was embraced during the early Ming dynasty under the Xuande emperor on blue and white vases, such as one included in the Special Exhibition of Hsuan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 13, before its re-emergence during the Qianlong period.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 17 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com
Hilat. Heracles Cuff. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handcrafted 24K Pure Gold Cuff.
Hilat. Iliria Earrings. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handcrafted 24K Pure Gold Micro Granulated Pinned Earrings
Hilat. Archaic Cuff. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handcrafted 24K Pure Gold Cuff
Hilat. Diatrita Bracelet. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handcrafted Lacework on 24K Pure Gold Bracelet with Fine Quality Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphire.
Hilat. Lleida Ring. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handmade 24K Pure Gold Ring Decorated with Micro Granules and Fine Quality Ruby
Hilat. Lydia Bangle. Image courtesy of Hilat
Completely Handcrafted 24K Pure Gold Bangle Bracelet Decorated with Agate Stamps.
Kendi à décor de qilin. Vietnam, dynastie des Lê, 15e - 16e s. Photo courtesy Schuler Auktionen AG
Grès blanchâtre à décor polychrome sur couverte. H. 16,50 cm
Schuler Auktionen AG. http://www.schulerauktionen.ch
Ballgowns by James, 1948. Photo By Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, Beaton / Vogue / Condé Nast Archive. Copyright (c) Condé Nast
NEW YORK, NY.- Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced today that the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Costume Institute in spring 2014 will examine the career of legendary 20th-century Anglo-American couturier Charles James (1906–1978). Charles James: Beyond Fashion, on view from May 8 through August 10, 2014 (preceded on May 5 by The Costume Institute Benefit), will be presented in two locations–The Costume Institute’s new galleries as well as special exhibitions galleries on the Museum’s first floor. The exhibition will explore James’s design process and his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical approaches to construct revolutionary ball gowns and innovative tailoring that continue to influence designers today.
“Charles James considered himself an artist, and approached fashion with a sculptor’s eye and a scientist’s logic,” said Mr. Campbell. “As such, the Museum, and in particular, the new Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery in The Costume Institute, offer the ideal setting in which to contextualize the complexity of James’s work.”
In celebration of The New Costume Institute and the exhibition, the Museum's Costume Institute Benefit will take place on Monday, May 5, 2014. The evening’s Chair will be Aerin Lauder. Co-Chairs will be Bradley Cooper, Oscar de la Renta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and Anna Wintour. The décor for the 2014 Benefit will be produced by Raul Avila for the eighth consecutive year. This event is The Costume Institute’s main source of annual funding for exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements.
“Charles James was a wildly idiosyncratic, emotionally fraught fashion genius who was also committed to teaching,” said Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute. “He dreamt that his lifetime of personal creative evolution and the continuous metamorphosis of his designs would be preserved as a study resource for students. In our renovated galleries, we will fulfill his goal, and illuminate his design process as a synthesis of dressmaking, art, math, and science.”
The retrospective exhibition, Charles James: Beyond Fashion, will feature approximately 100 of the most notable designs produced by James over the course of his career, from 1929 until his death in 1978. The first-floor special exhibition galleries will spotlight the glamour and resplendent architecture of James’s ball gowns from the 1930s through 1950s with an elegant tableau celebrating such renowned clients of his as Austine Hearst, Millicent Rogers, and Dominique de Menil.
The New Costume Institute’s Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery will provide the technology and flexibility to dramatize James’ biography via archival pieces including sketches, pattern pieces, swatches, ephemera, and partially completed works from his last studio in New York City’s Chelsea Hotel. The evolution and metamorphosis by James of specific designs over decades will also be shown. Video animations in both exhibition locations will illustrate how he created anatomically considered dresses that sculpted and reconfigured the female form.
“James was an artist who chose fabric and its relationship to the human body as his medium of expression,” said Jan Glier Reeder, Consulting Curator in The Costume Institute, who is organizing the exhibition with Harold Koda. “In fact, a devoted James client once said, ‘...his work went beyond fashion and was a fine art.’” Beyond Fashion was also the title James chose for the autobiography he never wrote.
James was so keen to ensure his legacy by preserving the "corpus" of his work in one institution that he persuaded important clients to donate his designs to the Brooklyn Museum. The transfer of the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection to the Metropolitan Museum in 2009 augmented the Met’s Charles James holdings, and with recent acquisitions of early designs and archives, the Museum now has the most definitive body of James’s work in the world, and the most comprehensive collection of a fashion designer’s work of any museum.
After designing in his native London, and then Paris, James arrived in New York City in 1940. Though he had no formal training, he is now regarded as one of the greatest designers in America to have worked in the tradition of the haute couture. His fascination with complex cut and seaming led to the creation of key design elements that he updated throughout his career: wrap-over trousers, figure-eight skirts, body-hugging sheaths, ribbon capes and dresses, spiral-cut garments, and poufs. These, along with his iconic ball gowns from the late 1940s and early 1950s–the "Four-Leaf Clover,""Butterfly,""Tree,""Swan," and "Diamond"–will be showcased in the exhibition.
A catalogue by Harold Koda and Jan Reeder will accompany the exhibition. It will be published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, and will be available in early May.
The New Costume Institute
May 2014 will mark the grand reopening of The Costume Institute space after an overall two-year renovation, reconfiguration, and updating. The 4,200-square-foot Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery will represent a fundamental change in the Museum’s approach to its costume collection, including a flexible design that lends itself to frequent transformation, a zonal sound system, innovative projection technology, wireless connectivity, and exhibitions on view 10 months a year.
The New Costume Institute will also include: the Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery, which will orient visitors to The Costume Institute’s exhibitions and holdings; a state-of-the-art costume conservation center; an expanded study/storage facility that will house the combined holdings of the Met and the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection; and The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library, one of the world’s foremost fashion libraries. The project is funded by a gift from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, as well as proceeds raised at the annual Costume Institute Benefit under the leadership of Anna Wintour, and from commitments by Janet and Howard Kagan and the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Inc. The Costume Institute was last refurbished in 1992.
The Museum’s website will feature the exhibition and the new galleries.
Charles James, 1936.Photo by Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's
Charles James with a model, 1948. Photo By Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton / Vogue / Condé Nast Archive. Copyright (c) Condé Nast
Charles James' muslin evening dress, 1947. Photo by (c) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949 (2009.300.754)
Charles James'"Diamond" evening dress, 1957. Photo by (c) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jean de Menil, 1959 (2009.300.832)
Charles James, "Swann". © Getty Images
A Charles James design. © Getty Images
“Petal” Ballgown by Charles James - black velvet and silk satin, 1951. © Getty Images
Charles James “Butterfly”, 1954. © Getty Images
A Charles James design. © Getty Images
A Charles James design. © Getty Images
© Getty Images
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), "Butterfly", 1955, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. John de Menil, 1957. 2009.300.816 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
James fits models backstage at a fashion show.
James poses with loyal client and socialite Austine Hearst.
Models pose in Charles James capes, 1936. Photo: Cecil Beaton/Vogue
Babe Paley in one of the couturier's gowns, 1950. Photo by Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by John Rawlings / Vogue / Condé Nast Archive. Copyright (c) Condé Nast
Austine Hearst in Charles James' Four-Leaf Clover Gown, circa 1953. Photo By Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photographer Unknown, (c) Bettmann/Corbis
Gaby Crawford in Charles James, 1954 © Corbis
Nancy James in Charles James' Butterfly Gown, 1954. Photo by Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's
Nancy James in Charles James' Butterfly Gown, 1955. Photo By Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's
A Charles James model. Image taken from American Fashion di Charlie Scheips, ed. Assouline, 2007
Charles James, 1952. Photo by Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Michael A. Vaccaro / LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Look Job 52-1129 Frame-18
Models with designer Charles James.
Fashion designer Charles James with Mrs Howard Reilly wearing James gown. (Photo by Chicago History Museum/Getty Images).
Charles James.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1950, silk. Gift of Mrs. Garrick C. Stephenson, 1990. 1990.258.1. © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), "Four Leaf Clover", 1953, silk, synthetic. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Cornelius V. Whitney, 1953. 2009.300.779© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), "Four Leaf Clover", 1953, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Josephine Abercrombie, 1953. 2009.300.784 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1949, silk. Gift of Eleanor Lambert , 1957. C.I.57.31.1© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, fall/winter 1951–52, silk, cotton, metal. Gift of Mrs. Lester Hano, 1958. C.I.58.32.1© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1949–50, silk, cotton. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Erik Lee Preminger in memory of his mother, Gypsy Rose Lee, 1993. 2009.300.585a–d© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1950–52, silk. Gift of Mrs. Marietta Tree, 1965. 2C.I.65.36.1 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1950–52, silk. Gift of Mrs. Marietta Tree, 1965. 2C.I.65.36.1 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, ca. 1953, silk. Gift of Mrs. Robert O. Blake, 1966. C.I.66.57 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1949–50, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1954. 2009.300.2786 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1944, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949. 2009.300.2754 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1961–62, silk. Gift of Lee Krasner Pollock, 1975. 975.52.3a, b © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1945–55, silk. Gift of Mrs. Joseph Love, 1967. C.I.67.71 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1950–51, silk. Gift of Eleanor Lambert , 1957. C.I.57.31.2 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1947, silk. Gift of Mrs. William Woodward Jr., 1964. C.I.64.74.2 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1947, silk. Gift of Mrs. William Woodward Jr., 1964. C.I.64.74.1 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1945, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949. 2009.300.3097a, b © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Ball gown, 1948, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949. 2009.300.7336 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, spring/summer 1946, silk, leather. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949. 2009.300.2751 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1936, silk, metal. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Harrison Williams, 1948. 2009.300.687 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), "Tree", 1955, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., 1981. 2009.300.991 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1944, silk, cotton. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Charles James, 1947. 2009.300.2743 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), Evening dress, 1946, silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949. 2009.300.3491 © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A Juyo Bizen daisho in mounts, Attributed to Nagamitsu, Kamakura period (13th century). Est. US$150,000-200,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
NEW YORK, NY.- A pair of 13th century Samurai swords by master maker Bizen Nagamitsu (or, "Nagamitsu from Bizen province," active 1264-1287) is estimated to sell between $150,000-200,000 at Bonhams October 8 auction, Arts of the Samurai. The two swords, of different lengths, are a matched pair called a daishō, which means "large-small" in Japanese. Made of a now exhausted supply of steel, the blades show a blue sheen typical of early Bizen examples. Presently encased in splendid 18th century lacquer mounts with gold overlay featuring heraldic family crests, the swords would most certainly have been carried by a high-ranking warrior.
Nagamitsu was a legendary swordsmith, whose works were highly desired even during his lifetime. He forged the blades using materials indigenous to Bizen, creating an exquisite temper line and a characteristic blue tone. His blades are of such exceptional quality that several have been deemed National Treasures, the highest honor bestowed by the Japanese government on a piece of cultural heritage.
"You simply cannot make steel of this quality anymore. The natural materials needed were completely exhausted by feudal Japanese swordsmiths. It's very rare to see an early Bizen Nagamitsu daishō like this one on the market," explained Jeff Olson, the Director of the Japanese Department at Bonhams New York.
Other important swords in the auction include another early Bizen tachi by Masazane, from the legendary collection of American Col. Dean Hartley (est. $30,000-40,000). Tachis are the earliest form of Japanese swords, used while most battles were fought on horseback, necessitating a long blade. As horses on the battlefield fell out of favor towards the end of the 13th century, the vast majority of tachis were shortened to make them easier to wield. This example, made in the 12th century, is extremely rare because its tang was not cut down, so it retains its original dimensions. Col. Hartley began his Samurai sword collection during WWII, trading a camera for his first acquisition. He considered his Masazane sword to be the pinnacle of his collection because of its age and unadulterated length.
Along with the impressive swords, a significant selection of Samurai armor will be offered on October 8. Especially notable are the 18 flamboyant helmets, imbued with poetic references to Japanese folklore as well as the Samurai philosophy of loyalty unto the death. An eboshi helmet with a centipede inlaid design and matching centipede forecrest is a likely reference to the fact that, like a Samurai, centipedes can only move forward, not backward (est. $15,000-20,000). On the other hand, an Edo-period iron kawari kabuto (eccentrically shaped helmet) in the form of a conch shell alludes to the dramatic call to battle made by blowing into the sea snail's integument, a tradition since ancient times (est. $60,000-80,000). 15 complete suits of armor will also be available, including a late Edo period black-lacquer example, formerly in the collection of the Kato family (est. $45,000-55,000).
Bonhams Arts of the Samurai auction will take place October 8 in New York. The auction will preview at Bonhams October 5-8.
Iron eboshi helmet with centipede. Est. US$15,000-20,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Archives Cartier © Cartier
Cartier Emerald Brooch Drawing (c) Cartier
Collier, Cartier Paris, 1947, crayon graphite et gouache sur papier transparent, 28 x 19 cm. Archives Cartier - Cartier © DR
Drawing of the ceremonial necklace for the Maharajah of Nawanagar, 1931, London CartierArchives (c) Cartier
Gouache drawing of the Lotus d’Orient ring, Pierres de Caractères Variations collection.
White gold, round and pear-shaped diamonds, round sapphires, fluted chrysoprase and one 24.44-carat oval tourmaline (origin: Mozambique)
The central tourmaline of the Lotus d’Orient ring is associated with the spring-like green of chrysoprase, carefully gadrooned to produce an enchanting textured effect. Along with the ring’s multi-level architecture, its bezel – fashioned like a garland of gold and diamonds – accentuates the beauty of the central stone.
Gouache drawing of the Camaieu de Bleus ring, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
Yellow gold, round diamonds, carved rubellite and turquoise
The Lady’s Cocktail ring from the High Jewelry Pierres de Caractère collection is particular in that it features a daring combination of precious, fine and hard stones.
The Lady’s Cocktail ring presents alternating rows of diamonds and turquoise supporting an engraved rubellite - part of the multicolored family of tourmalines - that gives volume to this creation.
The perfectly regular prongs radiate up from the ring shank in a display of meticulous craftsmanship.
Gouache drawing of the Pongal ring, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
Yellow gold, diamonds, cabochon-cut rubies (origin: Thailand) and a cushion-cut emerald of 27.81 carats (origin: Colombia).
The central stone and overall style of the piece evoke the Indian inspiration dear to Van Cleef & Arpels. The relationship deepened from the 1950s onwards, when Pierre and Claude Arpels started travelling across India in search of wondrous stones and jewels.
In India, green symbolizes life, happiness and prosperity, and red, the color of women’s wedding saris, is associated with vitality. These colors are worn at important Indian festivals such as “Pongal”.
Gouache drawing of the Riflesso Azzuro ring, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, round, pear-shaped, baguette and triangle-cut diamonds, cabochon-cut emeralds, one cushion-cut sapphire of 30.20 carats (origin: Sri Lanka), yellow gold.
The Riflesso Azzurro ring - “riflesso azzurro” means “azure reflection” in Italian. The blue of the sapphire evokes the Grotta Azzurra, the sea cave on the north-west coast of Capri, the stunning rock of the Bay of Naples in the Mediterranean sea, which is famous for the blue light reflected on its walls and its crystal clear water.
Gouache drawing of Summer Cocktail ring, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, round diamonds, pink gold, coral (corallium elatius), round mauve sapphires and one oval-cut pink spinel of 21.19 carats.
The aesthetic and the choice of stones of the Summer Cocktail ring echo the cocktail rings especially fashionable during the 1960s. The expression came into being in the 1930s to describe the colorful and opulent rings worn by elegant ladies at exclusive receptions.
Gouache drawing of the Precious light earrings, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, yellow gold, round and baguette-cut diamonds, two emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Orangy Yellow diamonds for a total of 9.04 carats.
1970s fashion was dominated by vibrant, acid colors like Yellow in couture and jewelry at that time. In reference to this era, these earrings showcase two Fancy Vivid Orangy Yellow diamonds with an exceptional “buttercup” color.
Gouache drawing of the Fleur de lapis-lazuli clip, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, lapis lazuli, round and pear-shaped diamonds and one round D IF diamond of 3.05 carats.
Starting from the design, a mock-up of the Fleur de lapis-lazuli clip from the High Jewelry collection Pierres de Caractère Variations was produced to simulate its complex volume. Re-cutting the stone in situ called for extreme precision: the petals are thin, curved and arranged in a spiral. In a demonstration of Van Cleef & Arpels’ attention to detail, the edge of the petals is also set with brilliants to provide a glittering halo.
Gouache drawing of the Ancolie Précieuse ring, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, round and pear-shaped diamonds, calibrated rubies and one cushion-cut D IF type 2A diamond of 9.03 carats.
The Ancolie Précieuse ring is composed of a halo of pear-shaped diamonds overlooking a row of round diamonds, themselves emphasized by a border of rubies. In its appearance, the ring evokes the finely serrated corolla of a columbine in full bloom. This elegant flower with its slender stem showcases the spirit of Nature so dear to Van Cleef & Arpels and is the latest addition to the “Maison’s garden”, which expands from collection to collection.
Gouache drawing of the Camaieu de Bleus ring, Pierres de Caractères Variations collection.
White gold, round and baguette-cut diamonds, baguette-cut medium and intense blue sapphires and one marquise cut D IF type 2A diamond of 11.22 carats.
The reference to the 1960s-1970s paintings and in particular to minimalism, has influenced the choice of colors and the geometric structure of this ring. The color gradation of the two blue tones (medium and intese) of the sapphires on an interwoven structure enhances the central stone.
Gouache drawing of the Oriental Princess necklace, Pierres de Caractère Variations collection.
White gold, round, pear-shaped and baguette-cut diamonds, buff -top baguette-cut, pear-shaped and cushion-cut rubies (origin: Mozambique) and one pear-shaped D FL type 2A diamond of 8.07 carats.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Maison created many pieces influenced by the Orient. In an homage to the inspiration of that era, the Oriental Princess necklace recalls the grace and beauty of Eastern princesses.
Its undulating curves reveal sparkling gems the color of fire and ice. Round, baguette-cut and pear-shaped diamonds add sparkle to a set of 42 rubies from Mozambique, the latter notable for their size and the consistency of their cut and color.
René Lalique, Dessin asymétrique, émeraudes, diamants© Lalique SA
Maison Fabergé, gouaché datant de 1885 ayant inspiré le Collier Romanov de 2012.