OTTO JAKOB (b. 1951), GOLD, EBONY AND LAPIS LAZULI EARRINGS 'RAVENS IN ARMOR', 1984


Germany, 1984, accompanied by the original inventory file card of the Hans Neuendorf Collection

The earrings 'Ravens with Armor' were made by the artist Otto Jakob in 1984. Jakob carved these two miniature raven heads from ebony in an outstanding sculptural quality. In ancient times the raven was the messenger of news. Otto Jakob therefore attached a scroll carved from lapis lazuli to the ravens. The underside of the scroll is decorated with pronged armor in 900 gold that closely resembles a morning star. The earrings are one of a kind hand crafted works of art that combine artisan craft with design at its best.

Otto Jakob (born 1951)
Already as a child the artist Otto Jakob was fascinated with antique jewelry and rare minerals. It is thus not surprising that he crafted his very first ring at the tender age of 17 for his then girlfriend and now wife as a symbol of love. Still, Jakob first turned to another form of art and studied painting from 1977-80 under the German artist Georg Baselitz.

Since 1980 he has devoted himself exclusively to the creation of jewelry. Inspired by the magic and artistic power of Etruscan, Celtic and Hellenic masterpieces, he learned their complex techniques using treatises by Pliny and Cellini.

From 1981 to 1986 the renowned art dealer Hans Neuendorf acquired a large part of Otto Jakob's early work and the following three lots come from Neuendorf's private collection. Other early collectors of Otto Jakob's works were contemporary German artists including Georg Baselitz, Joerg Immendorff, Markus Luepertz, Guenther Foerg, and Sigmar Polke.

Just as his first creation was an act of love he seems to turn to each of his works with an immense sense of passion mixed with a sentiment towards tradition. His pieces are each crafted with true devotion and an underlying force of uniqueness. This drive to create something unique with the use of almost forgotten techniques has led to an increasing fascination with his admirers and collectors and has also led to Otto Jakob's creations being noticed by the art world.

Today Otto Jakob employs 10 master goldsmiths in his atelier in Karlsruhe, and the output is limited to about 100 pieces a year. He is one of the leading jewelry designers worldwide and yearly exhibits his pieces at the TEFAF in Maastricht. His work was honored in a limited luxury book band 'The Impossible Collection of Jewelry' by Vivienne Becker, in which she lists his 'Turbine' earrings as one of the top 100 most important pieces of jewelry of the 20th century.

Shape: figural shapes
Weight: 19.3 grams for the pair
Dimensions: length is 3.5 cm – each
Condition: Excellent with minor wear
Insurance value: This pair of earrings was recently appraised with an insurance replacement value of 7.500,- Euro; the original certificate will be handed to the winning bidder
Provenance: private collection of Hans Neuendorf, thereafter Austrian private collection