Alexander Calder

Private Collection, Litchfield, Connecticut (acquired directly from the artist)
Gift of the above to the previous owner

This work is in excellent condition overall. All elements are stable and well intact. The necklace is comprised of 31 gold spiral elements. There is a slight variation in tonality and surface texture to the gold elements which is consistent with the artist’s choice of medium and working method. The spiral gold elements are intentionally lifted in some areas and are not intended to all lay flat. Under close inspection, there is some very light surface soiling to the gold spiral elements. Under very close inspection, there is evidence of some scattered unobtrusive surface scratches, which is to be expected of a wearable work from this period. The leather component is not inherent to the work.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

“Calder’s jewelry may be seen as a sort of Surrealistic strategy to entrap the wearer into participating in an art performance, even to become bewitched. To wear the jewelry is to induce dreams and to become metamorphosed. It is typical of Calder and his art to be more allusive than first meets the eye.”

(Mark Rosenthal in Alexander S.C. Rower, Ed., Calder Jewelry, New York 2007, p. 67)

Sotheby’s is delighted to present an exquisite series of jewelry created by Alexander Calder during the 1940s and 1950s. From necklaces to brooches to pins and earrings, lots 1-11 display Calder’s unparalleled dexterity, each work containing tightly controlled coils of lustrous metal imbued with an unmistakably Calder quality; a continuous theme that runs throughout the artist’s jewelry practice. Punctuating this offering are works from three esteemed collections; Property from a Distinguished Private Collection, New York, Sold to Benefit Charitable Initiatives (lots 1, 2, 4, 8, and 9), which is highlighted by two stunning examples of the artist’s extremely rare necklaces crafted in gold (lots 1 & 2), as well as Property from the Jacqueline Fowler Collection (lots 5,6, and 7) and Property from the Collection of Otis and Velma Dozier (lot 11).

Calder brought the same genius for design and motion to his jewelry that elevated his sculptural practice into the realm of singular innovation. His practice of making jewelry further extended his ability to communicate his artistic ideals and deluge his inventive curiosity on a more intimate scale. Calder’s forays into jewelry began as early as 1929, mostly as gifts for intimate friends and family particularly for Louisa James, whom he married in 1931. Each work is individually designed and hand-made by the artist, displaying the signature working practice and grace that is present in his larger scale works.

 

Calder was an inveterate and incurable innovator, never happier than with tools and material at hand, and this insatiable impulse to create – to make – is as evident in his jewelry as in his sculptures. Initially, brass was more readily at hand in the war years, but soon Calder was able to also afford the more precious metals such as silver and gold. Calder’s sophistication in the metalsmith craft grew and he soon hammered the wires into flattened forms that are the basis of his great spiral brooches, bracelets, earrings and elaborate necklaces. This ability to turn basic materials into exquisite wearable art is perhaps one of the most striking qualities of these works. As Calder remarked, “I decided a long time ago that primitive art really is preferable to decadent art, just the way I’ve been told it is. So I’ve tried to remain as primitive as possible.” (Alexander Calder quoted in Daniel Marchesseau, The Intimate World of Alexander Calder, Paris 1989, p. 260).