An unrivalled private collection of Christian Dior Jewellery will go on sale from 20 September to 4 October 2017. The auction coincides with the 70th anniversary of the house of Christian Dior, and also marks the first online sale from Sotheby's France. Ahead of the sale, the pieces will be on display at the Charpentier Gallery at Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, allowing collectors and aficionados of both jewellery and couture a unique opportunity to view these exceptional objects in person.
PROTOTYPE OF MASAI CHOKER NECKLACE IN GILDED BRASS WITH RUBBER ARTICULATION. PRESENTED BY JOHN GALLIANO AT THE BAGATELLE FASHION PARADE, SPRING-SUMMER 1998. ESTIMATE: €1,500—2,500.
Many of these now iconic pieces were revolutionary when conceived, such as this stunning prototype of a Masai choker rendered in gilded brass, that was first presented by Galliano in Spring/summer 1998. Spanning the careers of several of the some of the most famous names in fashion such as Gianfranco Ferré, Marc Bohan and John Galliano, the collection includes examples of 200 items that demonstrate Dior’s position as pioneers of form, elegance and innovation in the use of materials.
The exciting tale of this collection takes us to Victorian England, via the India of the Maharajahs to the Africa of the Masai warriors whose traditional tribal giraffe-necked women fascinated John Galliano. Taken all together, these pieces tell the story of the passionate discoveries of the sequence of artistic directors within the Dior fashion house from the 1970s until the 21st century, and testifies to the great fertility of their imagination.
DIOR HANDCUFF NECKLACE SET WITH SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS, PRESENTED BY JOHN GALLIANO AT THE BEAUX-ARTS, 2000. ESTIMATE: €450—650.
The love of costume jewellery, with its limitless opulence, lies at the origin of this collection of extraordinary pieces created for Christian Dior. Explosions of luxury and creativity, these sets were designed with extreme refinement, in the tradition of high jewellery. Women dressed in these pearls, laces and gemstones of all kinds are transformed into lofty and elegant muses. Many of the pieces were designed to accompany pieces of haute couture creations from the house of Dior down the catwalk — placing the jewellery in context and providing Dior's clients with a holistic vision of the ideal aesthetic.
Following the success of Sotheby’s online sales across categories such as Jewellery, Contemporary Art and design, this sale represents the first of its kind to originate in Paris, Christian Dior — Bijoux de Mode will bring a passionately curated selection of pieces from the world’s fashion capital to a global audience.
The exhibition will open on the 28-30 September, and 2 October at Sotheby’s, Paris. The sale opens for bidding on 20 September.
MAIN IMAGE: PROTOTYPE OF MASAI CHOKER NECKLACE IN GILDED BRASS WITH RUBBER ARTICULATION. PRESENTED BY JOHN GALLIANO AT THE BAGATELLE FASHION PARADE, SPRING-SUMMER 1998. ESTIMATE: €1,500—2,500.
