CARTIER: SILVER AND GOLD CIGARETTE CASE, DECORATED WITH SEVEN CHARMS...
CARTIER: SILVER AND GOLD CIGARETTE CASE, DECORATED WITH SEVEN CHARMS
Rectangular in shape, fluted, two-tone silver and gold, signed Cartier Paris, numbered S8775 and 5560, French hallmark for the silver and French import hallmark for the 18-karat gold (750 ‰), dimensions 11.0 x 8.3 cm, gross weight 168.91 g.
Accompanied by seven charms added later to the case, in 18-karat gold and platinum: a mouse set with a ruby cabochon and rose-cut diamonds, a mousetrap set with a heart-shaped ruby cabochon, a star adorned with rose-cut diamonds, a floral motif set with a pearl, a fish signed “Cartier Paris” with eyes set with rubies, its body formed by an emerald shaped like a leaf and set with rose-cut diamonds, a turban set with calibrated rubies and rose-cut diamonds, and a bird carved from sapphire and accented with rose-cut diamonds.
Provenance:
Madame Paulette’s jewelry box, “the queen of milliners, the milliner to the queens,” a gift she received from her second husband, Jacques Chopin de La Bruyère, in the early 1950s. Every year, he would give her a new charm that symbolized his love for her.
Key to the symbols:
Fish: her zodiac sign
Star: she is his star
Sparrow: a nickname given to her by her husband, “my little sparrow ”
Mouse: another nickname, “my little mouse”
Trap: you’ve captured my heart
Turban: her success during the war, also known as the “bicycle ribbon”
Rose: her favorite flower
CARTIER: SILVER AND GOLD CIGARETTE CASE, SET WITH SEVEN CHARMS
Rectangular in design, with fluted decoration, in two-tone silver and gold, signed Cartier Paris, numbered S8775 and 5560, French silver hallmark and French import mark for 18-karat gold, dimensions 11.0 x 8.3 cm, gross weight 168.91 grams.
Accompanied by seven charms added to the case at a later date, in 18-karat gold and platinum: a mouse set with a ruby cabochon and rose-cut diamonds, a mousetrap set with a heart-shaped ruby cabochon, a star set with rose-cut diamonds, a floral motif set with a pearl, a fish signed “Cartier Paris” with ruby-set eyes, the body carved from emerald in the shape of a leaf and set with rose-cut diamonds, a turban set with calibré-cut rubies and rose-cut diamonds, and a carved sapphire bird accented with rose-cut diamonds.
Provenance:
From the collection of Madame Paulette, “the queen of milliners, the milliner to queens”; a gift from her second husband, Jacques Chopin de La Bruyère, in the early 1950s. Each year, he gave her a new charm symbolizing his love for her.
Legend of the symbols:
Fish: her zodiac sign
Star: she is his “star”
Sparrow: a nickname given by her husband, “my little sparrow”
Mouse: another nickname, “my little mouse”
Mousetrap: “you have captured my heart”
Turban: her success during the war, also known as the “bicycle turban”
Rose: her favorite flower
Footnotes:
Pauline de la Bruyère, known as Paulette (1900–1984), established herself as the most influential milliner of her generation. In her workshops on Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue, she styled the hair of royalty, high society, and movie stars—from Greta Garbo to Princess Grace of Monaco—and also designed hats for numerous fashion houses, either anonymously or under her own label. Her “bicycle turban,” launched during the war, remains the emblem of “Resistance Fashion.” A collaborator with Christian Bérard and Cecil Beaton, she designed for theater and film, notably the hats worn by Audrey Hepburn in *My Fair Lady*. Her designs were photographed by Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton for *Vogue* and *Harper’s Bazaar*, and one of her turbans was exhibited in 2009 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Pauline de la Bruyère, known as Paulette (1900–1984), was the most influential milliner of her generation. In her workshops on Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt in Paris, she dressed royalty, socialites, and film stars—from Greta Garbo to Princess Grace of Monaco—and also created hats for numerous couture houses, either anonymously or under her own label. Her bicycle turban, introduced during the war, remains the emblem of “Resistance Fashion” during World War II. A close friend of Christian Bérard and Cecil Beaton, she created hats for the theater and cinema, notably Audrey Hepburn’s hats in the film *My Fair Lady*. Her designs were photographed by Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton for *Vogue* and *Harper’s Bazaar*, and one of her turbans was exhibited in 2009 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
For further information on this lot, please visit Bonhams.com
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CARTIER: SILVER AND GOLD CIGARETTE CASE, DECORATED WITH SEVEN CHARMS
Rectangular in shape, fluted, two-tone silver and gold, signed Cartier Paris, numbered S8775 and 5560, French hallmark for the silver and French import hallmark for the 18-karat gold (750 ‰), dimensions 11.0 x 8.3 cm, gross weight 168.91 g.
Accompanied by seven charms added later to the case, in 18-karat gold and platinum: a mouse set with a ruby cabochon and rose-cut diamonds, a mousetrap set with a heart-shaped ruby cabochon, a star adorned with rose-cut diamonds, a floral motif set with a pearl, a fish signed “Cartier Paris” with eyes set with rubies, its body formed by an emerald shaped like a leaf and set with rose-cut diamonds, a turban set with calibrated rubies and rose-cut diamonds, and a bird carved from sapphire and accented with rose-cut diamonds.
Provenance:
Madame Paulette’s jewelry box, “the queen of milliners, the milliner to the queens,” a gift she received from her second husband, Jacques Chopin de La Bruyère, in the early 1950s. Every year, he would give her a new charm that symbolized his love for her.
Key to the symbols:
Fish: her zodiac sign
Star: she is his star
Sparrow: a nickname given to her by her husband, “my little sparrow ”
Mouse: another nickname, “my little mouse”
Trap: you’ve captured my heart
Turban: her success during the war, also known as the “bicycle ribbon”
Rose: her favorite flower
CARTIER: SILVER AND GOLD CIGARETTE CASE, SET WITH SEVEN CHARMS
Rectangular in design, with fluted decoration, in two-tone silver and gold, signed Cartier Paris, numbered S8775 and 5560, French silver hallmark and French import mark for 18-karat gold, dimensions 11.0 x 8.3 cm, gross weight 168.91 grams.
Accompanied by seven charms added to the case at a later date, in 18-karat gold and platinum: a mouse set with a ruby cabochon and rose-cut diamonds, a mousetrap set with a heart-shaped ruby cabochon, a star set with rose-cut diamonds, a floral motif set with a pearl, a fish signed “Cartier Paris” with ruby-set eyes, the body carved from emerald in the shape of a leaf and set with rose-cut diamonds, a turban set with calibré-cut rubies and rose-cut diamonds, and a carved sapphire bird accented with rose-cut diamonds.
Provenance:
From the collection of Madame Paulette, “the queen of milliners, the milliner to queens”; a gift from her second husband, Jacques Chopin de La Bruyère, in the early 1950s. Each year, he gave her a new charm symbolizing his love for her.
Legend of the symbols:
Fish: her zodiac sign
Star: she is his “star”
Sparrow: a nickname given by her husband, “my little sparrow”
Mouse: another nickname, “my little mouse”
Mousetrap: “you have captured my heart”
Turban: her success during the war, also known as the “bicycle turban”
Rose: her favorite flower
Footnotes:
Pauline de la Bruyère, known as Paulette (1900–1984), established herself as the most influential milliner of her generation. In her workshops on Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue, she styled the hair of royalty, high society, and movie stars—from Greta Garbo to Princess Grace of Monaco—and also designed hats for numerous fashion houses, either anonymously or under her own label. Her “bicycle turban,” launched during the war, remains the emblem of “Resistance Fashion.” A collaborator with Christian Bérard and Cecil Beaton, she designed for theater and film, notably the hats worn by Audrey Hepburn in *My Fair Lady*. Her designs were photographed by Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton for *Vogue* and *Harper’s Bazaar*, and one of her turbans was exhibited in 2009 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Pauline de la Bruyère, known as Paulette (1900–1984), was the most influential milliner of her generation. In her workshops on Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt in Paris, she dressed royalty, socialites, and film stars—from Greta Garbo to Princess Grace of Monaco—and also created hats for numerous couture houses, either anonymously or under her own label. Her bicycle turban, introduced during the war, remains the emblem of “Resistance Fashion” during World War II. A close friend of Christian Bérard and Cecil Beaton, she created hats for the theater and cinema, notably Audrey Hepburn’s hats in the film *My Fair Lady*. Her designs were photographed by Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton for *Vogue* and *Harper’s Bazaar*, and one of her turbans was exhibited in 2009 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
For further information on this lot, please visit Bonhams.com
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
