Vintage Gold Brooch by George Lenfant for Hermès, Paris c. 1965

A delicate moment seems to have been captured in gold: a snipe, light and lively, spreads its wings as if letting itself be carried by the wind. The finely chiseled surface of its plumage catches the light and makes the solid yellow gold shimmer with a warm glow. Her eye, a small sapphire of bright blue, gives her the sparkling expression of a living creature that seems to dance in the air. The brooch is made of high-carat yellow gold and comes from the workshop of George Lenfant in Paris, as evidenced by the hallmarks on the back of the piece. Here, in the metropolis on the Seine, a whole menagerie of witty animal brooches has been created in the major jewelry houses since the 1960s. Van Cleef & Arpels was the first to do so, but Cartier and Maubussin also had numerous animals in their range. Hermès is also part of this tradition, whose workshops produced this elegant hummingbird - playful, but always with the masterful precision and attention to detail that has always characterized the house. The surface of the brooch is particularly beautifully designed. The individual feathers are meticulously crafted and the gold appears velvety and almost soft thanks to an effective matt finish. A double pin on its polished back makes it possible to wear the brooch on a firmer fabric or a fur collar. It is thus in the tradition of the elegant fur clips of late Art Deco. The small bird, called "bécasse", is considered the most luxurious game bird in France. Because it is rare, difficult to hunt and famous as a delicacy, it has become a symbol of refinement and luxury in France. At the same time, it has a poetic and slightly ironic double meaning in the French language, as "bécasse" is also used affectionately to describe a dreamy person. The brooch from the 1960s is a piece of the carefree elegance that makes French jewellery of this period so unique. It came to us from the south of France, where it spent the last few years on the Côte d'Azur.

Estimate:$10,011.43

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