Precious Peacock Brooch of Gold, Enamel & Diamonds, ca. 1970

The present large vintage brooch shows itself in the form of an elegant peacock made of precious materials: the piece of jewellery is forged from 18 carat gold and shows the magnificent bird perched on a branch. The plumage is decorated with colourful enamel painting and the long train shows sparkling diamonds as peacock eyes. The crown of feathers on the luxurious bird's head is set with shimmering pearls. The peacock is a symbolic animal. Since ancient times, he embodies beauty, wealth, pride, love and immortality but also vanity. As the national bird of India, it adorned the famous peacock throne, while in ancient Greece it was the companion of the goddess Hera. Many early Christian tombstones showed peacocks as symbol of immortality, as his flesh was considered imperishable. Our brooch was made in the years around 1970. In those years, brooches in the shape of animals were a big fashion. Each of the major jewellery houses had corresponding models in their program, which always lovingly exaggerated the peculiarities of the depicted animals in a cute and funny way. Van Cleef & Arpels stood out with their famous designs for a lion and a giraffe, but Cartier and Maubussin also had cats and dogs in their program, following the lead of the London goldsmiths Kutchinsky. Our precious peacock in 18 carat yellow gold belongs in this environment and was probably created in Germany. Luxurious materials have been masterfully processed here, so that the brooch is also convincing in this respect. The more than 7 centimeters high brooch, which has a slanted needle on the back for securely fastening on a solid fabric, is in first-class condition. Cf. on the history of animal brooches with many examples David Bennet and Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewellery, Woodbridge 2010, p. 428, p. 431.

Estimate:£1,650.33

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