Structure & Ornament: Studio Jewelry 1900 to the Present, Curated by Mark McDonald, 12 February 2020 < Auctions

Rago / Wright presents

This auction—the first of its kind in America—is an expansion upon the landmark 1984 exhibition at Fifty/50 Gallery of modernist studio jewelry. This sale includes works by revolutionary goldsmiths Giampaolo Babetto and John Paul Miller, mid-century icons Margaret De Patta and Art Smith, contemporary masters such as Lisa Gralnick and Peter Chang, and stand-out works from some of the twentieth century's most pivotal artists, like Claire Falkenstein, Harry Bertoia and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Ernest Blyth bracelet $7,500

The earliest work in the sale, a unique hair comb by Josef Hoffmann and Wiener Werkstätte from 1909, blends the Art Nouveau motifs of the 19th century with the emerging modernist aesthetics of the 20th.

Josef Hoffmann hair comb $47,500

This sale features contemporary jewelry designers from around the world who create work that challenges traditional approaches to material, craftsmanship and aesthetics. Featured are works by Terhi Tolvanen, Annamaria Zanella, Gijs Bakker, Karl Fritsch and Petra Zimmermann.

Hans Richter brooch $4,375

Join us in New York for an exhibition of this extraordinary collection.

31 January – 6 February 2020
12 – 5 pm Monday – Saturday

Rago / Wright at The High Line Nine
507 West 27th Street, New York

John Paul Miller Scorpion necklace $30,000

An Introduction to the Collection

By Mark McDonald

Creating this sale has been a look back and a lunge forward for me, reviving treasured old connections and encouraging me to stretch my focus in new directions.

The core material of this auction—mid-century modernist studio jewelry—has always been a large part of my professional career. At Fifty/50, our gallery in Manhattan from 1980 to 1993, my partners and I were pioneers in this field: researching, gathering, and exhibiting the best work available to us. Our 1984 exhibition and catalogue, Structure and Ornament: Studio Jewelry 1940-1960, featured many pieces purchased, or consigned directly, from key jewelers of that era, or from their friends and families. I have maintained many of these relationships to this day. And several pieces from that original show have found their way into this auction.

Ed Wiener Dancer brooch $1,000–1,5000; Ed Wiener brooch $2,000–3,000

Gerd Rothmann Four Finger bracelet $10,000–15,000