Lot 470

ENAMELLED GOLD, OPAL AND DIAMOND PENDANT, RAOUL-DIAZ WAGNER, CIRCA 1903

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Description

Designed as a leaping fish encircling an oval cabochon opal, with pliqué-à-jour enamel fins and circular-cut diamond set sea spray, to a curb link chain, one diamond deficient, length approximately 510mm, French assay marks and makers marks.

Literature

Cf; The Paris Salons, 1895-1914, Jewellery II: The Designers L-Z, Antique Collectors' Club, Alastair Duncan, 1994, page 273, for an image of the above pendant.

Catalogue Note

Raoul-Diaz Wagner born in Buenos-Aires, Argentina, and member of 'La Société des Artistes Français', was commended for his exhibits at the Paris salon of 1903, readily adopting the Art Nouveau genre, his jewels were characterised by the use of pliqué-à-jour enamel and organic motifs.

An extraordinary number of French jewellers were active during the Fin de Siècle movement most of which have sadly slipped into obscurity. While the only surviving documentation of their existence is to be taken from surviving exhibition catalogues, which on occasions have proved to be unreliable due to their prolific nature and the subsequent resulting typographical errors. Their is unfortunately very little surviving documentation on Raoul-Diaz Wagner, who was one of the many French jewellers active during the 1900s.