Williams Gallery West - Jewelry - Erté - Brooch / Necklace

Erté 

"Sophistication" 

Limited Edition Brooch / Necklace

 Circa 1990

State II  #71 of 250

PRICE $9,500

This lovely necklace by artist and designer Erté was inspired by the cold beauty of the arctic. Erté's "Sophistication" line was based on a 1925 costume for George White's play, Scandals, later translated into a serigraph Erté titled, "Arctic Sea".

This necklace is State II of several states, each with different combinations of stones. State II consists of white and yellow gold, silver, diamonds, gold rondeles, and mother-of-pearl. It can be worn as one piece, or disassembled and worn as a brooch and a necklace.

Slide clasp with safety latch. Brooch / central medallion attaches with two guillotine style double silver bar latches, both with safety latches. 

Dimensions  - necklace approx. - 18" around 

brooch approx. - 3 3/4" long x 1 1/16" wide 

(length does not include the length of the gold dangles).

 Excellent condition

 Back view

Fashion and stage designer Erté ( Romain de Tirtoff) was born in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Erté is considered by many as an icon of flamboyance and elegant style in twentieth century art and design.  Erté showed great talent for design at a young age, creating his first costume at the age of five.  He moved to Paris in 1912 where he worked with famed Parisian designer Paul Poiret as a fashion illustrator and learned the art of houte couture, designing clothes that compliment the form of a woman's body.
 
In the 1920's Erte worked for Harper's Bazaar, where his flamboyant designs with elaborate plumed hats, fur stoles, and flowing dresses captured the imagination of the Art Deco period. At Harper's, he created over 200 magazine covers in his own distinctive style. Erte designed costumes and sets for the famous Folies-Bergère, and  the New York City George White's Scandals Club. He worked in the 1920s and 30s on theatre and opera productions, and on film costume designs at MGM Studios in Hollywood.
 
The extravagance of Erté's designs lost popularity during World War II.   Erté's work re-emerged in the 1960's after a Paris exhibition of his work presented limited edition lithographs and sculpture, establishing his classic style as part of the foundation of an exciting new pop culture and sophisticated design. His work is the collections of many museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art.