Elegant Antique Jabot Pin with Natural Pearls & Diamonds, Paris c. 1915

The jabot pin, épingle de jabot, is a special type of brooch consisting of two parts. When worn, the middle part disappears and only the two ends are visible on clothing. They were originally used to pin the jabot, a bib made of batiste or lace, to the neckline of the dress. In the late 19th century, they were often designed in the shape of arrows or swords. In the early 20th century, they became fashionable again and now took on geometric, abstract shapes. This brooch presents a large, natural pearl on each of its two showpieces. Each of the pearls is held by a geometric element with four diamonds in platinum: There could be no greater contrast than between the strict, geometric form of the goldsmith's work and the baroque pearls that have been freely formed by nature! We liked the pin so much precisely because of the special pearls: In a time when there were no cultured pearls, large pearls like these were special treasures - the fact that they were staged as prominently as they are here is explained above all by this background. And baroque pearls in particular have a special tradition in the history of jewelry: they mark precisely the balancing act between art and nature that affects every piece of jewellery: decorating with natural materials that are nevertheless subject to a deliberate design. Do you know, for example, the small animal figures with baroque pearls in the collection of the Green Vault? This is where the desire for baroque pearls found its most beautiful expression. We discovered the needle in Paris. Its hallmarking proves that it was also created in Paris. Due to the use of diamonds in the single cut and the type of workmanship, we date the brooch to the 1910s.

Estimate:£1,667.24

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