Rago Auctions

By the early 1900s, Louis Comfort Tiffany had long wished to delve into the realm of jewelry-making but had, for the most part, abstained from doing so, largely due to stylistic differences with his father, Charles, the founder and head of Tiffany & Co. This changed in 1902 when Charles died; Louis became a Vice President of the company and began sharing art direction responsibilities with Paulding Farnham. Tiffany launched experimentation with jewelry design at Tiffany Furnaces (the facility which produced Favrile glass for Tiffany Studios) and, for the next several years with the help of enamelist Julia Munson and a small staff, produced unique, finely crafted organic pieces of jewelry.

Beginning in 1907 and lasting until 1933, Tiffany’s jewelry was produced by and marked Tiffany & Co.

Beginning in 1907 and lasting until 1933, Tiffany’s jewelry was produced by and marked Tiffany & Co. Though Tiffany himself did not make the jewelry, it was clearly stipulated in the company's 1909 Blue Book that every piece was “Designed and made under the personal supervision of Louis C. Tiffany.” Scholar and author Janet Zapata notes on page 41 of her book The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany:

“Tiffany would roughly sketch an idea on paper, then his designers, either Miss [Julia] Munson or Miss [Meta] Overbeck, would make a watercolor cartoon. After that, a wax model would be executed over which the framework for the jewel was constructed. At various times during the development of a piece of jewelry, Tiffany would make recommendations… Each piece was hand-crafted, based on the original rendering, nothing was stamped or cast. This craftsmanship ideal was followed at the time by Arts and Crafts designers in England and in Boston, and it has been the tradition in ancient civilizations, a source Tiffany often turned to for inspiration.”

Tiffany’s designs for Tiffany & Co. were more symmetric and stylized than earlier examples, but retained a sumptuous and organic appearance as well as the continued use of colorful gemstones to painterly effect. 

Tiffany’s designs for Tiffany & Co. were more symmetric and stylized than earlier examples but retained a sumptuous and organic appearance as well as the continued use of colorful gemstones to painterly effect. In fact, Louis chose stones for their artistic qualities as opposed to their inherent value and preferred a closed collet setting, inspired by medieval and Renaissance jewelry, rather than a prong or claw mount. The present necklace was dated to circa 1910 to 1915 by Janet Zapata and we can trace its history directly back to its original owner, Charlotte Bishop Williams Kip.

Included with the necklace is a delicately painted miniature of Mrs. Kip wearing it, displaying her pride in owning such a precious object by a leading artist of her era. Her husband, Frederic Ellsworth Kip, was a wealthy textile investor, industrialist, and author of several books. The couple built Kypsburg, known as Kip’s Castle, a sprawling and elaborate mansion on eleven acres in Essex County, New Jersey that now serves as a public park. 

The pendant's stylized teardrop shape and resplendent mix of blues and greens combine to suggest the form of a peacock, a beloved artistic motif of the Art Nouveau period.

The necklace's design encompasses all the finest aspects of Tiffany’s jewelry from this period. It features one of his favorite stones, a large black opal, beloved by him for their entrancing and ever-shifting colors that mimic the iridescence of his signature Favrile glass. Surrounding the opal is an array of cornflower blue Montana sapphires, mined in the Yogo Gulch under the supervision of famed mineralogist George Frederick Kunz, three yellow sapphires, and a number of rare green demantoid garnets. The pendant's stylized teardrop shape and resplendent mix of blues and greens combine to suggest the form of a peacock, a favored artistic motif of the Art Nouveau period. The reverse of the pendant is no less exquisite, featuring intricate filigree work which can only be viewed by purposeful handling of the piece, providing a delightful surprise to the wearer.

The Bromers acquired Mrs. Kip’s necklace from Siegelson, New York and became one of the precious few private owners of the piece since its creation. We are delighted to offer it here, complete with the portrait of Mrs. Kip and supporting documentation from Janet Zapata.

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.