ERTÉ: DIAMOND-SET 'SOPHISTICATION' NECKLACE/BROOCH, CIRCA 1980
Of abstract design with a removable central figure to be worn as a brooch, set with a carved moonstone face and single and brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in silver, signed Erte on moonstone, numbered 109/250, lengths: brooch 8.7cm, necklace approx. 41.0cm, maker's case
Footnotes:
Working under the pseudonym Erté, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) was a Russian-French artist and designer. Born in Saint Petersburg, Erté moved to Paris in 1912 where he briefly collaborated with the couturier Paul Poiret. He would later work in a variety of fields, including illustration, interior decoration, jewellery, sculpture, and costume and set design for film, theatre, ballet and opera. His sleek aesthetic influenced by Greek pottery and Japanese woodblock prints, capture the lavish elegance of the early 20th century. A later creation, Erté's 'Sophistication' necklace/brooch, still reflects his beginnings in the dramatic arts and love of glamour.