Carnelian and enamel brooch, Raymond Templier, 1921

The plaque with floral carved carnelian and leaves decorated with green enamel, signed Raymond Templier.

Cf:  Laurence Mouillefarine & Véronique Ristelhueber , Raymond Templier, Le bijoux moderne, Paris, 2005, page 169  for an illustration of this brooch.

Stamped with French import marks for 18 carat gold. Signed Raymond Templier and RT. Orange-brown cornelian with light banding to one side, few scratches and nicks. Green enamel with minor loss on the sides. Signs of normal wear to the metal, scratches consistent with use. In good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for any certificate from a gemological laboratory that may accompany the property. We do not guarantee that watches are in working order. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue, in particular to the Notice regarding the treatment and condition of gemstones and to the Notice regarding import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into the US.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

As early as 1909, the Ballets Russes guided by the famous Russian impresario Sergei de Diaghilev exploded onto the traditional Parisian Theater scene! In a bold stroke of genius, Diaghilev, armed with a cadre of his fellow countrymen Alexandre Benois and Leon Bakst along with other legendary European painters of the 20th Century including Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, revolutionized costumes, décor and stage designs throughout the late teens and 1920¹s for his groundbreaking ballet productions. Each performance was a jubilant celebration of color and bold graphic design where the polyphony of jewel-like hues and painterly patterns reminiscent of far-and-away exotic lands were accented with shimmering pure silver and gold. The style and exoticism of the Ballets Russes rapidly spread from the stage to the art galleries where both the Fauves and later the Post-Impressionists were exhibited. Flower forms and abstract patterns were exaggerated and imbued with colors sometimes seen during an opiate state-of-reverie. In this Templier jewel (lot 461), the sensational impact of the exotic flower blossom and buds carved in blood-orange carnelian and the robust leaves rendered in dark jade-green champlevé enamel both dramatically resonate against the sun filled hue of an 18K yellow gold backdrop. This brooch boldly exemplifies the rich tapestry of color and form woven by the incredible talent surrounding the Ballets Russes, but at the same time foreshadows the stylisation and subtle geometrization of organic and floral elements that one begins to see in Paris as early as 1920 and delineated by artists such as Georges Barbier. Furthermore, it foreshadows the stylized floral and leaf forms of the iconic Oasis screen in wrought iron and mixed metals by the master metalsmith Edgar Brandt featured a full four years after this brooch was made at the seminal Exposition International des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne held in Paris in 1925.

 

Of course, this landmark Paris exhibition inaugurated Art Deco both as a style and one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th Century.

It was also the showcase for the radical new jewelry designs of Raymond Templier, Jean Fouquet and Gérard Sandoz who were diverging from the tradition of Haute Joaillerie and began to embrace simple geometric forms and volumes. Raymond Templier was a founding member of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) and was stimulated by his surrounding city life.

Perhaps, Templier¹s own words best describe this inspiration, 'I see ideas everywhere for jewelry, wheels, cars and the machines of today.' In fact, the mathematical rhythm evident in the "figure eight" or yin and yang of the double circle brooch (lot 462) is a superb example of the balanced geometric abstraction of interlocking discs that appear to perpetually spin before our eyes like cogs and wheels. As one journalist wrote, it is impressive in both the originality of its design and the mastery of the execution and incorporated a technique of curving the metal so that the concave surface served to mirror the diamonds as a reflector.

 

The rare and exquisite, cigarette case (lot 463) with its masterful stylization of the louvers and front-end grill of a speeding car, perfectly captures the dynamism of trains, planes and automobiles. This quest for representation of speed through pure geometric forms and graphics, is embodied in the unique designs of one of the most renowned champions of Art Deco design in the 20th Century, Raymond Templier.