Jennifer Tonkin
Co-Head of Department UK
Lot 34Y
CARTIER: CORAL, ENAMEL AND SAPPHIRE 'OISEAU LIBÉRÉ' BROOCH, 1986
21 September 2023, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £12,800 inc. premium
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CARTIER: CORAL, ENAMEL AND SAPPHIRE 'OISEAU LIBÉRÉ' BROOCH, 1986
The singing bird with coral corallium rubrum body, blue enamel wings and a cabochon sapphire eye, perched in front of cage, mounted in 18 carat gold, signed Cartier London, maker's mark JC (rubbed) London hallmark, European convention mark, numbered 25504, length 4.0cm
Footnotes
This brooch is one of two commissioned from Cartier in 1986 by the owner's husband. The other, numbered 25504A, was presented to HRH The Princess Margaret at the opening of the Grosvenor House Antiques Fair that same year and was subsequently sold by Christie's on 13th June 2006 as lot 154.
The caged bird motif was a recurrent theme in jewels by Cartier during the Second World War and was symbolic of the German occupation of France. The choice of colours, the red coral, blue enamel and white gold in nationalistic homage to the French flag. After liberation, the jewels displayed singing birds freed from their cages.
For a sketch by Cartier of the 'Oiseau Libéré' brooch, see Rainero, P. et al 'The Art of Cartier', p. 298.
This lot will be subject to USA Fish and Wildlife regulations if it is to be imported into the USA.