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Cartier Paris Art Deco Enamel and Diamond Pencil Pendant Necklace
$9,500
Designed in the late 1920s-1930s by Cartier Paris, this mechanical pencil pendant necklace is composed of 18K gold, enamel and rose-cut diamonds. The reeded telescoping cylinder with bands of black champlevé enamel, base incised with monogram "TMK" serving as a seal, and enclosing a mechanical pencil, with rose-cut diamond top, suspended from an enamel bail and black silk cord. A rare Cartier accessory created by one their exclusive expert workshops, this chic pencil pendant necklace with tis subtle sparkle is a streamlined example of utilitarian beauty.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: N-21103
Artist: Cartier
Country: France
Circa: Late 1920s - 1930s
Dimensions: 2.50" length of pencil; 19" length with silk cord
Materials: 24 rose-cut diamonds (approximate total weight 0.20 carat); Black Enamel; 18K Gold
Signed: Cartier Paris, Made in France, 0872, French assay marks, partial maker's mark for Pillard.
Literature: Enamel, rose-cut diamond and coral accessories from this period by Pillard are pictured in "Cartier 1900-1939" by Judy Rudoe, pp. 253-255.
The Pillard workshop was a Cartier collaborator creating a variety of precious accessories. Their paper knives, powder boxes, clutches, "fume cigarette trompettes" (cigarette holders) and powder boxes, often on a base of 18K gold, were typically composed of materials like black enamel, coral, carved jade, and rose-cut diamonds. The firm, about which little is known, was located on the Rive Droite in the 2nd arrondissement, the Marais, a neighborhood with numerous early architecturally significant buildings, The Marais became an artisan's district in the 18th century, when aristocratic families began to build their maisons particuliers elsewhere. By the late 1700s, the area also housed wine cellars for wealthy families, leading to occasional finds in the 20th century of stashes of first growths long forgotten by their original owners.