Van Cleef & Arpels: A feather brooch, second half of the 20th century
£4,032
Auction: 23 October 2024 From 14:00 BST
Description
Of sinuous twisting design, signed VCA, maker's marks P&Fils for Péry et Cie, numbered, French assay marks, length 6.5cm
Footnote
The workshop of Péry et Cie began making jewellery in 1875. However it was the founder's son Albert Péry that propelled the firm into the world of high fine jewellery.
Amongst the many jewellers of the Place Vendôme that Albert developed relationships with, including Boucheron and Chaumet, Van Cleef & Arpels was the most significant. Péry's first work for VCA was a bracelet made in 1925.
The Péry workshop was highly regarded within the high jewellery manufacturing industry, not just for their suburb artistry but also their technical innovations. None of which is better exemplified than their collaborative creation of the Zip necklace. Originally requested by Wallis Simpson, the project took years to perfect the technical creation. Other exceptional VCA projects to come from the Péry workshops include the Ludo bracelets, the ‘passe-partout’ jewels and many of the La Boutique animal brooches.