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Lot Essay
Cartier's lapis lazuli, diamond and coral bird brooches of the 1940s are both a contempary expressions of political sentiments and charming and decorative war-time jewellery. Sporting France's national colours, they are evidence of how much political and social upheaval can have a direct influence on the design of jewellery.
When the German troops marched into Paris on 14 June 1940, dark night fell on the city of lights. Only four days later, however, General Charles de Gaulle, who had narrowly escaped German aircraft and landed in London on 17 June, called upon his fellow-countrymen to resist the enemy and to reject French capitulation as pursued by the French political leadership. The policy of collaboration with the enemy, a move that some disagreed with, led to the formation of the Free French Forces outside of France and of the French Resistance at home.
At Cartier, one of the first to support de Gaulle was Etienne Bellenger, Director of Sales at Cartier London. He made available to the General several of the New Bond Street offices, the company Rolls Royce and his own house. In the workshops, symbols and badges of the Free French Forces soon appeared in drawings. In France, however, Cartier could of course not contribute as forcefully to the fight against the occupying forces as could their London colleagues. The only possible protest was to be metaphoric: Jeanne Toussaint and the draftsman Pierre Lemarchand created various models of a bird locked in a cage, symbolising unfree France. It is of course difficult to say how many women dared to wear these symbolically bold brooches, but both birds and badges are almost impossible to find nowadays.
France was liberated with the joint effort of the allied forces, the Free French Forces and the French Resistance in 1944, and between 1944 and 1946, the country was ruled by the Provisional Government of the French Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, who continued to fight the war and organised political rebuilding.
Cartier's caged 'national' bird was freed and now shown escaping its prison, with its beak wide open to sing the song of joy. A close albeit modern version of these brooches was sold at Christie's London, The Collection of H.R.H. The Princess Margaret, 13 June 2006, lot 155 for GBP 13,200.
On 21 October 1945, the Provisional Government formed a constituent assembly, tasked with reforming the institutions. However, not all went smoothly and persistent disagreement amongst the parliamentary deputies caused a lot of political strain, which led Charles de Gaulle to resign on 20 January 1946.
Overseas, America developed the atomic bomb in 1945, whilst France was to face post-war colonial politics.
With this historical background and the difficult times after the war and especially towards the end of 1945 in mind, this brooch spelling '1946 WILL BE BETTER' expresses hopeful optimism after the defiant and joyful birds of the earlier years, representing France at the various stages of her involvement in the Second World War: occupation, liberation and the struggle for peace and stability thereafter.
Cf. Musée du Petit palais, The Art of Cartier, Paris-Musées (Paris 1989), pp. 96-97, plate 63
When the German troops marched into Paris on 14 June 1940, dark night fell on the city of lights. Only four days later, however, General Charles de Gaulle, who had narrowly escaped German aircraft and landed in London on 17 June, called upon his fellow-countrymen to resist the enemy and to reject French capitulation as pursued by the French political leadership. The policy of collaboration with the enemy, a move that some disagreed with, led to the formation of the Free French Forces outside of France and of the French Resistance at home.
At Cartier, one of the first to support de Gaulle was Etienne Bellenger, Director of Sales at Cartier London. He made available to the General several of the New Bond Street offices, the company Rolls Royce and his own house. In the workshops, symbols and badges of the Free French Forces soon appeared in drawings. In France, however, Cartier could of course not contribute as forcefully to the fight against the occupying forces as could their London colleagues. The only possible protest was to be metaphoric: Jeanne Toussaint and the draftsman Pierre Lemarchand created various models of a bird locked in a cage, symbolising unfree France. It is of course difficult to say how many women dared to wear these symbolically bold brooches, but both birds and badges are almost impossible to find nowadays.
France was liberated with the joint effort of the allied forces, the Free French Forces and the French Resistance in 1944, and between 1944 and 1946, the country was ruled by the Provisional Government of the French Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, who continued to fight the war and organised political rebuilding.
Cartier's caged 'national' bird was freed and now shown escaping its prison, with its beak wide open to sing the song of joy. A close albeit modern version of these brooches was sold at Christie's London, The Collection of H.R.H. The Princess Margaret, 13 June 2006, lot 155 for GBP 13,200.
On 21 October 1945, the Provisional Government formed a constituent assembly, tasked with reforming the institutions. However, not all went smoothly and persistent disagreement amongst the parliamentary deputies caused a lot of political strain, which led Charles de Gaulle to resign on 20 January 1946.
Overseas, America developed the atomic bomb in 1945, whilst France was to face post-war colonial politics.
With this historical background and the difficult times after the war and especially towards the end of 1945 in mind, this brooch spelling '1946 WILL BE BETTER' expresses hopeful optimism after the defiant and joyful birds of the earlier years, representing France at the various stages of her involvement in the Second World War: occupation, liberation and the struggle for peace and stability thereafter.
Cf. Musée du Petit palais, The Art of Cartier, Paris-Musées (Paris 1989), pp. 96-97, plate 63