LLUIS MASRIERA ROSÉS (Barcelona, 1872 - 1958). Brooch-pendant with the head of two birds facing

LLUIS MASRIERA ROSÉS (Barcelona, 1872 - 1958).
Pendant brooch with the heads of two birds facing each other and chiselled in yellow gold, with rubies set as eyes. Plique-Ã -jour enamels and diamonds form the body and plumage of the birds, whose curved feathers emulate the shape of a heart.
Attached is a certificate from Bagués Masriera stating that the brooch pendant is an original Masriera design, as recorded in the firm's drawing archive.
The first design of this model was made in 1910-1915.
Measurements:
The plique-à -jour technique, French: 'allowing light to enter', 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 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.