.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
With the accession of the five-year old King Louis XV in 1715, French fashion became more and more elaborate. Since the French were the barometer of good taste the 'Rococo' style was soon adopted across the whole of Europe. Women's dress assumed a high degree of exaggeration with tightly corseted wasp-waists and wide, hooped skirts, parted at the front to reveal flamboyant underskirts. Plunging necklines set off the assets of the lady in question; wigs and powdered hair surmounted porcelain-tinted faces with a beauty spot here and there - the whole appearance was one of contrived elegance.
It was the habit of the aristocracy to entertain with lavish dinner parties. Diamonds became the most popular gemstones as they caught and reflected the flickering candle light most splendidly. Likewise, silver was given preference over gold since, when polished, it detracts less from the colourless gemstones. For the first time, different jewellery was designed for wear during the day and in the evenings. This impressive diamond and emerald brooch is a fine example of the more costly and extravagant type of evening jewellery. It has a certain lightness and delicacy about it, which is typical of the first half of the 18th century, or a sign of supreme design and workmanship of the later decades.
This type of open-work bow brooch set with many small diamonds was worn as a bodice ornament or, possibly, as a choker on a ribbon. It was known as a sévigné after the Marquise de Sévigné (1626-1696), a member of the court of Louis XIV who is famed for her letters to her daughter. Although especially popular until about 1740, the bow theme remained so throughout the century. This particular bow is one of the earliest examples of jewellery featuring open-back setting, which was introduced during the second half of the 18th century.
It was the habit of the aristocracy to entertain with lavish dinner parties. Diamonds became the most popular gemstones as they caught and reflected the flickering candle light most splendidly. Likewise, silver was given preference over gold since, when polished, it detracts less from the colourless gemstones. For the first time, different jewellery was designed for wear during the day and in the evenings. This impressive diamond and emerald brooch is a fine example of the more costly and extravagant type of evening jewellery. It has a certain lightness and delicacy about it, which is typical of the first half of the 18th century, or a sign of supreme design and workmanship of the later decades.
This type of open-work bow brooch set with many small diamonds was worn as a bodice ornament or, possibly, as a choker on a ribbon. It was known as a sévigné after the Marquise de Sévigné (1626-1696), a member of the court of Louis XIV who is famed for her letters to her daughter. Although especially popular until about 1740, the bow theme remained so throughout the century. This particular bow is one of the earliest examples of jewellery featuring open-back setting, which was introduced during the second half of the 18th century.