Antique Rococo Revival Brooch with Diamonds in Gold, French, c. 1890

Rococo, that splendid, playful and gallant style of the 18th century, is called "style rocaille" in French, after its most characteristic ornament, the rocaille: a C-shaped volute from which decorative asymmetrical compositions can be formed. This brooch pays homage to this ornament - in its purest form. Not as a frame or other accessory, but all on its own, the rocaille becomes a precious piece of jewellery. Wonderfully vivid and nonchalantly asymmetrical, heavy gold has been shaped into textured volutes that are enlivened by the brilliance of fine diamonds and a ruby. Together, they create a shape whose horizontal alignment was intended for the lace-edged décolleté of the elegant lady, as brooches were worn in the middle around 1890. At the end of the 19th century, Rococo had once again become an aesthetic model - with the difference that now, as in the past, only aristocrats were allowed to partake in luxury. The clothing and jewelry fashion of the upper middle classes also showed clear echoes of the Rococo. In 1888, a reader wrote to the German ladies' journal Bazar with the observation "that in fashion [...] a tendency towards rococo is now noticeable." She wondered "whether it was a sign of good taste if the thinking reader matched her gold jewelry to the style of her costume." Such a fashion-conscious lady, who liked to bring her wardrobe into harmony with her jewellery, will once have been captivated by the brooch. It was made for the jeweler Daubrée from Nancy, in whose case it has survived. We discovered this beautiful and high-quality piece of jewelry in Vienna.

Estimate:$3,249.93

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