Rago Auctions

Paul Peter Pfeiffer was a skilled sculptor, jewelry designer, and chaser who trained in sculpture in Karlsruhe and studied woodcarving in the Black Forest region. In 1903, he became a drawing teacher at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Pforzheim. Starting in 1905, he taught metalworking at the Goldschmiedeschule Pforzheim-Eutingen, eventually rising to the position of deputy director in 1934 and director in 1945. Pfeiffer was deeply involved in the Jugendstil (“Youth Style”) movement, the German counterpart to Art Nouveau, and became a resident of Pforzheim’s Jugendstil artist colony. In 1909, he was the first to move into the colony, naming his home Landhaus Marianne in honor of his late first wife.

Pfeiffer’s work was remarkably diverse, encompassing jewelry, belt buckles, reliefs, plaques, busts, and numerous portrait reliefs and medals. Notable among his creations are the Baden Homeland Commemorative Coin, the Hans Thoma Medal for his 80th birthday, and the Centenary Medal of the Archdiocese of Freiburg. After World War II devastated Pforzheim, Pfeiffer adapted by establishing a management office in his home and organizing classrooms in nearby Niefern, where he continued to teach until his death in 1957.

Although not as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries, Pfeiffer’s work, especially his jewelry, stands out for its exceptional design and craftsmanship. His style reflects the more abstract, geometric lines of Jugendstil, contrasting with the whiplash, organic forms of French Art Nouveau. In addition to his legacy as an educator, Pfeiffer’s jewelry remains a lasting testament to his contributions to the Jugendstil movement in Germany.

David Jonathan Bromer spent his childhood a block from the ocean in Miami Beach; I grew up 1,500 miles north, also a block from the ocean, in Winthrop, Massachusetts. We met through a mutual friend when David was a junior at M.I.T. and I was a sophomore at Emerson College. At nineteen years old each, we were certain we would be happy together, so we married in 1962. David completed his doctorate degree at M.I.T. in metallurgy and worked in the field of science for ten years. We dabbled in collecting and selling rare books as a hobby until we were able to fulfill our dreams and become full-time antiquarian booksellers. 

In 1980, David and I moved our antiquarian book business, operating under the name of Bromer Booksellers, to Copley Square, Boston. We specialized in “The Book Beautiful,” as coined by T.J. Cobden-Sanderson in his 1900 publication, The Ideal Book. All the elements of creating the ideal book, from text to handmade paper, illustrations, calligraphy, and binding, unified to form a beautiful book. Book design of the Arts & Crafts period, c. 1895-1915, especially captured our interest. In 1993, we were gifted a small estate of gemstone jewelry from David's family, which had us thinking about the link between book designers and well-designed jewelry.

In 1993, we were gifted a small estate of gemstone jewelry from David’s family, which had us thinking about the link between book designers and well-designed jewelry.

British book designers led the way in creating handmade books distinguished by good typography, design, and materials, and several of them were also jewelry designers. Charles Robert Ashbee, printer at the Essex House Press in the Cotswolds, England, was the first book designer to cross over into jewelry. His private press books were exquisite works of art, some printed on natural calfskin called vellum. We were able to purchase one of his rare peacock necklaces executed at the Guild of Handicraft in Chipping Camden and designed by Ashbee. 

Arthur and Georgie Gaskin were known for their illustrations in children’s books as well as Arthur’s beautiful drawings for one book printed by William Morris at the Kelmscott Press. The husband-and-wife team began working together at the turn-of-the-century to create foliate necklaces that are festooned with wire and semi-precious stones. When Arthur died in 1928, Georgie continued making beautiful necklaces on her own.

In June 1997 I wrote “Three British Book Designers and their Arts & Crafts Jewelry” for Antiquarian Book Monthly. By then we were expanding our collecting vision to include representative pieces from designers further afield than the British Isles. We were seeking variety with excellent design and materials and eventually added pieces from France, Germany, Austria, Spain, America, Denmark, and Russia.

Our jewelry has been photographed in major jewelry references and exhibited at the Driehaus Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Forbes Galleries, New York. 

Our collection largely focused on necklaces, pendants, and brooches, with a bracelet and several rings included. The necklaces are presented in silver and gold; some with enameling and the French examples with plique-à-jour. A variety of precious and semi-precious stones were used as well as crystal and paste. Several are in their original boxes, and most are signed or verified as to the maker. Our jewelry has been photographed in major jewelry references and exhibited at the Driehaus Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Forbes Galleries, New York. 

Art Nouveau, the new art, was an integral component of modernism. Whether it was labeled Arts & Crafts in Britain, Jugendstil in Germany, Wiener Werkstätte in Austria, it was revolutionary in accenting fine design and the elements of care in producing fine, handmade objects. Nature and female forms are thematic in the jewelry. Flowers, leaves, and insects—all are incorporated in pieces, as is the birth of Venus from a diamond studded starfish and a green enameled mermaid with a golden thread.

Art Nouveau, the new art, was an integral component of modernism. Whether it was labeled Arts & Crafts in Britain, Jugendstil in Germany, Wiener Werkstätte in Austria, it was revolutionary in accenting fine design and the elements of care in producing fine, handmade objects.

When I lost David in 2021, I continued to buy a few pieces, but the partnership for the hunt and then the enjoyment of ownership was no longer possible. It is the season now to bid adieu to these incredible pieces of jewelry, all of which I have loved and most of which I took pleasure in wearing at least once. I am delighted to have the collection offered in an open auction for others to appreciate.