René Lalique Art Nouveau 18K Gold and Enamel Bat Brooch
Regular price
$27,500
Dating from circa 1897-1900, this 18K gold and enamel brooch is a creation of René Lalique. The complex image centers a woman's serene and dreamlike face with a diadem, above a thistle blossom, kissed by flanking elfin figures with peaked ears and bat wings, highlighted by blue basse taille enamel. Conveying the Lalique's close association with Symbolist artists and poets, and the prominence of the bat in his imagination during this time, this small but impactful brooch dates from this creative and experimental period in his career.
Item #: BO-21886
Artist: Lalique
Country: France
Circa: 1897-1900
Dimensions: 1.25" length, 1.50" width.
Materials: 18K Gold; Champlevé Enamel
Gram Weight: 13.8 g.
Signed: LALIQUE, French assay marks
Literature: For Lalique work with bat motifs, see René Lalique: Schmuck und Objets d"art, cat nos. 16, 64, 90, 615, 952, 1241, 1306, 1478, 1503, 1508, 1729 and 1821.
Item #: BO-21886
Artist: Lalique
Country: France
Circa: 1897-1900
Dimensions: 1.25" length, 1.50" width.
Materials: 18K Gold; Champlevé Enamel
Gram Weight: 13.8 g.
Signed: LALIQUE, French assay marks
Literature: For Lalique work with bat motifs, see René Lalique: Schmuck und Objets d"art, cat nos. 16, 64, 90, 615, 952, 1241, 1306, 1478, 1503, 1508, 1729 and 1821.
This Symbolist and bat-themed brooch dates from the explosive period around the turn of the 19th century when Lalique, determined to create work "never seen before", rose to prominence as an artist in jewelry. In this period, according to Sigrid Barten, Lalique often merged two or three motifs, which added to the suggestive power of his work. Here, the mystical face of the beautiful woman, possibly experiencing a dream state, is beset by bat-winged creatures, creating a sense of mystery and dread at once. A related Symbolist jewel depicting a woman's face with a fantastical bat woman emerging from her head is a related work dating from circa 1898-1900. The motif appears in only a dozen jewels from this short period, including a large blue enamel brooch with five bats among stars (1897-1899), a band ring in silver chased with seven bats and highlighted by enamel and moonstone (1899-1900), and an ankle bracelet with a group of bats in a starry sky highlighted by enamel, opals and diamonds (1898-1899). Further, the baldachino of Lalique's celebrated booth at the 1900 Paris Exposition was draped with a textile of bats in flight in a starry sky.
This Symbolist and bat-themed brooch dates from the explosive period around the turn of the 19th century when Lalique, determined to create work "never seen before", rose to prominence as an artist in jewelry. In this period, according to Sigrid Barten, Lalique often merged two or three motifs, which added to the suggestive power of his work. Here, the mystical face of the beautiful woman, possibly experiencing a dream state, is beset by bat-winged creatures, creating a sense of mystery and dread at once. A related Symbolist jewel depicting a woman's face with a fantastical bat woman emerging from her head is a related work dating from circa 1898-1900. The motif appears in only a dozen jewels from this short period, including a large blue enamel brooch with five bats among stars (1897-1899), a band ring in silver chased with seven bats and highlighted by enamel and moonstone (1899-1900), and an ankle bracelet with a group of bats in a starry sky highlighted by enamel, opals and diamonds (1898-1899). Further, the baldachino of Lalique's celebrated booth at the 1900 Paris Exposition was draped with a textile of bats in flight in a starry sky.
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