Van Cleef & Arpels

The discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922 triggered a wave of Egyptomania that influenced all areas of artistic endeavor, from painting and sculpture to fashion, filmmaking and literature. Parisian jewelers such as Lalcoche, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels excelled in their interpretations of the aesthetic, incorporating motifs such as sphinxes, serpents and scarabs—typically formed from calibré-cut colored stones—into diamond-set panels evocative of hieroglyphics.

Precious boxes provided another opportunity to explore Egyptian themes, as seen in lot 1700. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds glow against the glossy black enamel of a compact. It exemplifies the beauty of restraint: a single female supplicant, holding a lotus flower. The offering table on which the lotus is to be placed isn’t present; it is implied by her seated position. In Ancient Egyptian culture, offering tables served as a vital link to the afterlife, granting eternal satisfaction to one’s ancestors.

1922 年圖坦卡門法老（King Tutankhamen）陵墓的發現，掀起了一股影響繪畫、雕塑、時裝、電影及文學等各個藝術領域的「埃及狂熱」（Egyptomania）。

巴黎頂級珠寶商如 Lacloche、卡地亞（Cartier）與梵克雅寶（Van Cleef & Arpels）在此美學風格的演繹上表現超群，將斯芬克斯（Sphinx）、聖蛇（Serpent）與聖甲蟲（Scarab）等典型由校正切割（calibré-cut）彩色寶石構成的圖騰，鑲嵌於鑲鑽面板之上，烘托出令人聯想到古埃及象形文字的意境。

珍貴的盒篋作品為探索埃及主題提供了另一個絕佳舞台，拍品 1700 號便是一例。

紅寶石、藍寶石與祖母綠在美妝粉盒亮麗的黑色琺瑯襯托下熠熠生輝。這件作品完美展現了內斂之美：畫面中僅有一位持拿蓮花的祈願女性。雖然用以擺放蓮花的供桌並未直接畫出，但從她端坐的姿勢中已然心照不宣。在古埃及文化中，供桌是連結後世的關鍵紐帶，能為先祖帶來永恆的滿足。在此，這座粉盒本身即是供品，一份致贈予現世的珍貴贈禮。