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Lot Essay
From an early age, Jean Schlumberger was an alchemist of imagination, translating any fleeting imagination into beauty through his drawings. Despite his family’s disapproval of his professional pursuit for the arts, Schlumberger remained loyal to his ardent love for art and design. Without formal art training, he left for Paris in his early twenties, determined to pursue his creative endeavors in one of the most sophisticated cities in the world.
In Paris, he began designing whimsical costume jewelry for his circle of fashionable and affluent friends. In 1937, his unique designs caught the attention of legendary Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who invited him to join her firm as head of button and jewelry design. Working for Schiaparelli, Schlumberger created designs that were far more than mere buttons. His sensational creations of animals, insects, fruits and seashells beautifully adorned with Schiaparelli’s couture gowns and hats, embracing the avant-garde spirit of the era.
By 1938, Schlumberger had begun to experiment with precious metal and gemstones. After serving in the French army during World War II, he moved to New York where he co-founded a jewelry salon with his business partner, Nicholas Bongard. In this new venture, he created imaginative pieces inspired by the various landscapes he visited during his worldwide travels. Every piece began as a meticulous hand sketch, which later transformed into an exquisite piece of jewelry that brought nature to life.
Among his early masterpieces was the 'Trophée de Vaillance' that he designed for his close friend Diana Vreeland in 1941. Comprising a surrealist assemblage of an armor, shield and arrows set with amethysts, diamonds and rubies, the brooch served as a visual homage to a dream Vreeland once recounted about the architecture of Place Stanislas. Vreeland wholeheartedly fell in love with the brooch, so deeply that she always kept it by her night stand.
Yet that was not the end of Schlumberger’s exploration of the chivalric motifs. A few years later, in 1948, Schlumberger realized the present lot, the 'Flèches' brooch, another one-of-a-kind jewel employing a color palette and motifs reminiscent of the one he had designed for Vreeland. Emanating golden arrows in multiple directions from a sculptural amethyst-clustered center, it captured the fantastical spirit that defined Schlumberger’s creative vision, balancing between whimsy and elegance. It was among his series of masterpieces of imaginative jewels that ultimately led to his invitation to join Tiffany & Co. where he spearheaded his own studio, a chapter of his career that he is the most known for today.
The present lot was later included in the retrospective Jean Schlumberger: 20 Years of Jewels and Objects d’Art held at the Wildenstein Gallery in November 1961, organized by Schlumberger’s longtime client and friend, Jacqueline Kennedy. To this day, the brooch remains as an exceptionally rare example from Schlumberger’s pre-Tiffany years, a true treasure that captures the creative genius of his early years.
In Paris, he began designing whimsical costume jewelry for his circle of fashionable and affluent friends. In 1937, his unique designs caught the attention of legendary Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who invited him to join her firm as head of button and jewelry design. Working for Schiaparelli, Schlumberger created designs that were far more than mere buttons. His sensational creations of animals, insects, fruits and seashells beautifully adorned with Schiaparelli’s couture gowns and hats, embracing the avant-garde spirit of the era.
By 1938, Schlumberger had begun to experiment with precious metal and gemstones. After serving in the French army during World War II, he moved to New York where he co-founded a jewelry salon with his business partner, Nicholas Bongard. In this new venture, he created imaginative pieces inspired by the various landscapes he visited during his worldwide travels. Every piece began as a meticulous hand sketch, which later transformed into an exquisite piece of jewelry that brought nature to life.
Among his early masterpieces was the 'Trophée de Vaillance' that he designed for his close friend Diana Vreeland in 1941. Comprising a surrealist assemblage of an armor, shield and arrows set with amethysts, diamonds and rubies, the brooch served as a visual homage to a dream Vreeland once recounted about the architecture of Place Stanislas. Vreeland wholeheartedly fell in love with the brooch, so deeply that she always kept it by her night stand.
Yet that was not the end of Schlumberger’s exploration of the chivalric motifs. A few years later, in 1948, Schlumberger realized the present lot, the 'Flèches' brooch, another one-of-a-kind jewel employing a color palette and motifs reminiscent of the one he had designed for Vreeland. Emanating golden arrows in multiple directions from a sculptural amethyst-clustered center, it captured the fantastical spirit that defined Schlumberger’s creative vision, balancing between whimsy and elegance. It was among his series of masterpieces of imaginative jewels that ultimately led to his invitation to join Tiffany & Co. where he spearheaded his own studio, a chapter of his career that he is the most known for today.
The present lot was later included in the retrospective Jean Schlumberger: 20 Years of Jewels and Objects d’Art held at the Wildenstein Gallery in November 1961, organized by Schlumberger’s longtime client and friend, Jacqueline Kennedy. To this day, the brooch remains as an exceptionally rare example from Schlumberger’s pre-Tiffany years, a true treasure that captures the creative genius of his early years.