JNA Sep/ Oct 2021

MARKET INTELLIGENCE 54 | JNA Sep/Oct 2021 ART NOUVEAU THE ELEGANCE AND FANTASY OF 新藝術風格之優雅與夢幻 Organic, fluid and dramatic, Art Nouveau pieces are consistently in vogue among jewellery lovers and collectors. JNA examines the essence, techniques and evocative appeal of this design movement. 線條自然流暢而富戲劇性的新藝術 首飾，向來深受珠寶愛好者和收藏家追捧。《JNA亞洲珠宝》特別探 索這場設計運動的美學精髓、製作技巧和誘人的幻想魅力。 | Cynthia Unninayar | Brooch signed Gaston Lafitte, with plique-à-jour butterfly wings, circa 1904 (Photo 圖片來源 : Christies.com) 翅膀飾以彩繪玻璃琺瑯的蝴蝶胸針，並附高士頓·拉斐特簽名，約 1904 年 O ne of the most popular categories of jewellery today is a throwback to earlier times. Antique jewels are not only beautiful, they are also unique, filled with historical significance and genuine value. For the environmentally conscious consumer, the wearer becomes someone who conserves rather than consumes. Among the many styles of these bygone eras, Art Nouveau jewels, with their organic lines, mystical motifs and natural forms, are certainly among the most endearing and enduring. Beginning in the mid-1890s, the Art Nouveau period swept through decorative arts, architecture and jewellery, only to fade two decades later with the outbreak of World War I. Although it was short-lived, this era was fabulously creative and decidedly French. But versions of this new style also flourished in other countries. Germany and Austria had their Jugendstil ; Italy had its Floreale ; and Britain had its Glasgow Style. “Its name means ‘New Art’ in French,” explained Ioannis Alexandris, antique jewellery expert and CEO of Gemolithos, which has offices worldwide. “It can be traced back to an art gallery in Paris owned by Samuel Bing that he reopened in 1895 under the new name of La Maison de l’Art Nouveau. For its grand opening and in keeping with the new taste that mixed Chinese and Japanese works of art with contemporary Western pieces, Bing featured artists who would form the core of this new design style. The name caught on and a movement was born.” What set Art Nouveau jewellery apart from earlier periods was the way it broke from the