Brooch

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Brooch

Place of OriginGermany

Dateabout 1905

DimensionsL: 2 in. (5.1 cm); W: 2 in. (5.1 cm); Depth: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm)

MediumPlatinum, pearls, plique-a-jour enamel, and diamonds

ClassificationJewelry

Credit LineGift of Janet and Ricardo Zapata in Memory of Helen Stillman

Object number

1999.30

Not on View

Label TextPlique-à-jour (French for “open to light”) is a form of enameling in which the powdered glass substance is suspended within a filigree framework rather than on a metal backing so that light can shine through the translucent colored material in a manner similar to stained glass. The design of this brooch displays a range of influences. The fan shapes of the enamel sections reflect Japanese forms, while the play of the straight platinum lines against the pearl and enamel circles suggests the abstraction seen in German modern art from the period