LLUIS MASRIERA ROSÉS (Barcelona, 1872 - 1958). Brooch-pendant in the shape of a bird with the head

LLUIS MASRIERA ROSÉS (Barcelona, 1872 - 1958).
Brooch-pendant in the form of a bird with its head and plumage delicately chiselled in yellow gold, and plique-Ã -jour enamels, pearls and diamonds on the rest of the body. The head is set with a ruby as an eye.
Enclosed is a certificate from Bagués Masriera, and a Masriera and Carreras case with very slight wear.
Design by Lluis Masriera, as indicated in the album of drawings shown in the additional image.
Measurements: 6 x 4.6 cm.
The plique-à -jour technique, French for "letting the light in", is a vitreous enamelling technique in which the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but without any backing material on the finished product, so that the light can pass through the transparent or translucent material. It is an extremely expensive technique (up to 4 months to produce one piece), with a high failure rate.
A member of the third generation of an illustrious saga of goldsmiths and silversmiths still active today, Lluàs Masriera was the son of José Masriera Manovens (1841-1912), a goldsmith and landscape painter. Although he took to painting at an early age, his training was initially directed towards the family trade, and he was sent to study in Geneva at the age of seventeen. But his prolific and exquisite production of jewellery is only one aspect of the activity of this multifaceted and restless character. He was also a prestigious painter and playwright, as well as director of the Barcelona Academy of Sciences and an omnipresent figure in the most important cultural initiatives of his time. He was a pioneer in the creation of moulds and dies that allowed him to work with goldsmiths in series, becoming the true forerunner of Modernisme and Art Nouveau.