Falize

 Falize, A dynasty of jewellers, Katherine Purcell, Thames and Hudson, 1999, pages 20, 202-205 for similar examples.

The Master Jewellers, edited by A. Kenneth Snowman, Thames and Hudson, 1990, page 65, for similar examples.

Alexis Falize (1811-1898) began his career in 1832 under the jeweller Mellerio dits Meller. In 1838, he established his own workshop, focusing on intricate enamelling techniques. During the Second French Empire (1852-1870), his creations drew inspiration from various historical periods, particularly the French Renaissance, as well as from distant cultures.His efforts elevated jewellery to a true decorative art form. Upon his retirement in 1876, his son Lucien (1839-1897) took over the business.

Japan began to trade with the West in the 1850s, which allowed for a gradual influence of Japanese art over European art and decoration. Alexis Falize's enthusiasm for the new movement Japonaiserie was fuelled by his discovery of a series of albums on Japanese art. Hokusai's fifteen-volume Magna, a pictorial encyclopaedia of Japanese life, was used frequently by Falize who reproduced the designs through Antoine Tard's vivid cloisonné enamels from brooches to perfume flasks, all presented in cases with Japanese silk coverings. He became fascinated with cloisonné enamel as it allowed for a beautiful rendering of the natural world. His son Lucien also shared this passion and leveraged the firm's enamelling expertise to create highly refined pieces inspired by Japanese designs. They joined forces with Antoine Tard the enameller to create these exquisite pieces in the workshop.