Lucien Gaillard Gold, Opal, Enamel, and Pearl Pendant
Of floral design, set with a free-form opal plaque accented by green plique-à-jour enamel leaves and suspending a pearl drop, on a gold chain.Chain length 33¼ inches, pendant length 3½ inchesSigned L. GaillardFrench import mark18 karat goldCirca 1900s
Condition Report:
In very good condition, with minor abrasions to the mounting commensurate with age and wear. The enamel is intact. Pendant and chain mountings test as 18 karat gold. Each stamped with French import marks. The opal is translucent white with strong red and green play-of-color, with moderate to heavy crazing, not noticeable when worn. The pearl is drop-shaped with white bodycolor, pink and green overtones, fair to good luster and moderate blemishing including a wrinkled skin and pitting. It has not been tested for natural origin and measures approximately 8.0 x 6.5 x 6.3 mm. Gross weight approximately 39 dwts.
Catalogue Note:
Lucien Gaillard (b. 1861-d.1942) was a French jeweler and goldsmith known for his work in the Art Nouveau style. Maison Gaillard was founded by his grandfather Amédée Alexandre Gaillard in Paris in 1840. After his death the business passed on to his son Ernest. Lucien apprenticed under his father Ernest until 1892 when he then took over the business. Lucien’s jewelry reflected the trends in jewelry design at that time, chiefly inspired by floral or animal motifs. He was awarded a prize at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition, and in 1893 he served as a judge at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Examples of Gaillard’s jewelry can be found in the Musée de Orsay in Paris, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The pendant necklace offered here displays Gaillard’s use of the technique of plique-a-jour enamel in the translucent leaves gently shaded from light amber to green. The umbelliferous plant forms embrace a large navette-shaped opal with pastel pink plays of color, as one might observe in the misty early fall at sunrise or sunset. In addition to its visual appeal, the jewel also has a formidable provenance, having formerly been in the collection of Dr. Robert and Gladys Koch. Dr. Robert Koch was a highly respected worldwide authority of Art Nouveau and early Twentieth Century decorative arts. He was not only a scholar and a prolific writer about decorative and graphic arts, but his expertise was sought after by many major museums who consulted him on questions of authenticity regarding the work of Art Nouveau designers. His wife Gladys was a well-respected antiques dealer and collector, and in the mid-1960’s together they founded a business specializing in the work of Art Nouveau and Art Deco designers.
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Of floral design, set with a free-form opal plaque accented by green plique-à-jour enamel leaves and suspending a pearl drop, on a gold chain.Chain length 33¼ inches, pendant length 3½ inchesSigned L. GaillardFrench import mark18 karat goldCirca 1900s
Condition Report:
In very good condition, with minor abrasions to the mounting commensurate with age and wear. The enamel is intact. Pendant and chain mountings test as 18 karat gold. Each stamped with French import marks. The opal is translucent white with strong red and green play-of-color, with moderate to heavy crazing, not noticeable when worn. The pearl is drop-shaped with white bodycolor, pink and green overtones, fair to good luster and moderate blemishing including a wrinkled skin and pitting. It has not been tested for natural origin and measures approximately 8.0 x 6.5 x 6.3 mm. Gross weight approximately 39 dwts.
Catalogue Note:
Lucien Gaillard (b. 1861-d.1942) was a French jeweler and goldsmith known for his work in the Art Nouveau style. Maison Gaillard was founded by his grandfather Amédée Alexandre Gaillard in Paris in 1840. After his death the business passed on to his son Ernest. Lucien apprenticed under his father Ernest until 1892 when he then took over the business. Lucien’s jewelry reflected the trends in jewelry design at that time, chiefly inspired by floral or animal motifs. He was awarded a prize at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition, and in 1893 he served as a judge at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Examples of Gaillard’s jewelry can be found in the Musée de Orsay in Paris, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The pendant necklace offered here displays Gaillard’s use of the technique of plique-a-jour enamel in the translucent leaves gently shaded from light amber to green. The umbelliferous plant forms embrace a large navette-shaped opal with pastel pink plays of color, as one might observe in the misty early fall at sunrise or sunset. In addition to its visual appeal, the jewel also has a formidable provenance, having formerly been in the collection of Dr. Robert and Gladys Koch. Dr. Robert Koch was a highly respected worldwide authority of Art Nouveau and early Twentieth Century decorative arts. He was not only a scholar and a prolific writer about decorative and graphic arts, but his expertise was sought after by many major museums who consulted him on questions of authenticity regarding the work of Art Nouveau designers. His wife Gladys was a well-respected antiques dealer and collector, and in the mid-1960’s together they founded a business specializing in the work of Art Nouveau and Art Deco designers.
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