A gold and enamelled necklace suspended with four damselflies
by René Lalique,

their veined wings decorated with plique–à-jour enamel, the leading edge applied with luminous opalescent
enamels against a foiled ground as are the insects’ heads, set and suspended with a circular blue glass bead and
drop, the reverse revealing their tails and bodies minutely engraved, the chainwork
composed of green enamelled candy twist links. 

Paris, c.1904.

René Lalique’s early study of nature has been chronicled in detail by his contemporary, Henri Vever, who relates that at a young
age the boy would spend holidays in his mother’s native countryside of Champagne observing plants, flowers and trees.  By the age
of 16 he was apprenticed to the jeweller Louis Aucoc (see no.81), perfecting his artistic talent at evening classes at the Ecole des
Arts Décoratifs (in 1876) and later in London at the Crystal Palace School of Art and Music (from 1878 to 1880).

Having submitted his designs for sale to distinguished jewellery retailers for a number of years, and having had them rejected on
occasion for their fanciful and bold compositions, it was only in 1894 that Lalique was provided with an opportunity to reveal to
the public creations under his own name, when the Salon de la Societé des Artistes français introduced a Decorative Arts
section. At the Salon of 1895 Lalique’s imaginative talent was recognised by the award of a medal for his jewellery. 
Amongst his pieces was a magnificent dragonfly, its wings scattered with amethysts and yellow sapphires.
Lalique’s flair as a colourist drew him to enamel, a technique which allowed him to translate insect life and particularly the
diaphanous delicacy of dragonfly or damselfly wings into plique-à-jour enamel, favouring irridescent blue and green tones
against silver foils or gold grounds. 

Exhibited:

Japonisme: from Falize to Fabergé, the Goldsmith and Japan,
Wartski, 2011, number 96.