A gold and enamelled necklace by Fernand Thesmar

suspended with a green enamelled waterlily leaf centred with a damselfly spread across its surface,
the body applied with foiled Royal blue translucent enamel, the gold wings of a deeper blue, the leaf
bearing three drops of water in transparent enamel, its reverse enamelled paler green.  The gold openwork
link chain is suspended with six elements in the form of budding waterlily flowers, one of which is
applied with a red foiled enamel ladybird. 

Paris, c.1890.

Jewels by Thesmar are extremely rare and in them he typically juxtaposed opaque and
foiled translucent enamels to highlight the minutest flower or insect, such as the ladybird in
this jewel.  The bold use of a damselfly as the central motif is reminiscent of the frequent
depictions of the insect in Japanese woodblock prints, while the extraordinarily realistic
representation of the drops of water on the waterlily leaf evokes the Oriental reverence
for wabi-sabi, in which the transient beauty of nature is shown.

Exhibited:

Japonisme: from Falize to Fabergé, the Goldsmith and Japan,
Wartski, 2011, number 92.