1938 ElsaSchiaparelli CouturePagan DeposeFrance FeatherCrystalGold Bird Brooch
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:Gold,Yellow Gold,Gilt Metal
- Stone:Crystal
- Stone Cut:Mixed Cut
- Weight:4 g
- Dimensions:Width: 1 in (25.4 mm)Length: 2.5 in (63.5 mm)
- Place of Origin:France
- Period:1930-1939
- Date of Manufacture:1938
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3244222404982
Elsa Schiaparelli
From her signature color Shocking Pink to her collaborations with Surrealist artists, the boldly original Elsa Schiaparelli transformed fashion with her haute couture house from the late 1920s to the early ’50s. Experimenting with elements like trompe l’oeil images and colorful visible zippers, the Italian designer instilled a provocative avant-garde artistry in her clothing and accessories, including those created with Salvador Dalí, such as the lobster dress and a hat shaped like a shoe.
Born in Rome, Schiaparelli was a rebellious child who grew up among the city’s intellectual elite. She had a voracious appetite for reading and became interested in ancient cultures, astronomy and world religions. Schiaparelli studied philosophy at the University of Rome, and after publishing a collection of poems on love and sensuality that so mortified her conservative parents that they tried, unsuccessfully, to confine her to a Swiss convent, she left for London.
A quick marriage to Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor brought her to New York, but it would be in Paris following her divorce that Schiaparelli embraced her artistic passions. She moved to the French capital city in 1922 with her young daughter and happened to meet master couturier Paul Poiret, who loaned the stylish Schiaparelli his clothes, sparking her own fashion interests.
Schiaparelli opened her modest atelier in Paris and debuted her first collection of knitwear in 1927, and later that year, she designed a black-and-white pullover hand-knit wool sweater featuring a trompe l’oeil bowknot that captured the attention of the fashion world. Vogue called it “an artistic masterpiece.” The success led to her moving her house to 21 Place Vendôme in 1935 where thousands of garments were produced each year.
Schiaparelli’s knitwear collections were later accompanied by revolutionary swimsuits and other clothing and accessories. Her inventive designs would include culottes — a radical statement in the 1930s when women still could cause a scandal by wearing pants — as well as printed fabric, such as the 1938 Tears dress with a print designed by Dalí making it appear as if the evening gown had been savagely ripped.
Schiaparelli was among the first designers to use materials like rayon and Lurex as well as explore wrap dresses and transparent raincoats. She also introduced unisex fragrances and brought her artistic partnerships into jewelry, such as bronze brooches made with Alberto Giacometti and fur-lined bracelets with Méret Oppenheim. As she wrote in her 1954 autobiography Shocking Life, women should “dare to be different.”
Despite her acclaim, her shop closed in 1954 after a tumultuous time during World War II. By then, fashion had moved on with Christian Dior's New Look, and the closure of Schiaparelli's business coincided with a comeback mounted by Coco Chanel, her archrival in the early days.
In 2006, Italian businessman Diego Della Valle acquired the brand and its archives, and the Maison Schiaparelli was reopened in 2012, back at 21 Place Vendôme where Schiaparelli's fearless and enduring work began.
Find vintage Elsa Schiaparelli hats, evening dresses and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: North Adams, MA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Couture CocoChanel Byzantine ThePurpleHeart PearlAmethystQuartz GoldMedallionBy ChanelLocated in Chicago, ILDuring the ArtDeco period when Gabriel "Coco" Chanel was at her peak as a Parisian couture fashion-designer in the early 1930s, this antique one-of-a-kind handcrafted gem-fringed and gilt-chain medallion brooch with trombone clasp was commissioned to accessorize one of her clothing designs. Marked only "FRANCE" like some early 1930s Chanel couture jewelry (without a brand stamp until the 1950s), its artistic origin is most likely from ornate organic-form sketches by her favorite parurer Fulco di Verdura. The Sicilian duke began creating fabric patterns for Chanel in 1927, which shortly expanded to fine jewelry beginning with custom pieces for herself. These include the iconic Byzantine-influenced gem-adorned cuffs referencing the Maltese military-cross, which the French designer can often be seen wearing in circa-1930s photos. This bright yellow-gold brooch suits goldsmith Verdura's early anti-Art-Deco aesthetic that was considered a radical departure from 1920s silver-tone jewelry, which otherwise featured linear geometric designs or figurative representation. The softly-shaped deconstructed gem-bouquet mixes amethyst and rose-quartz beads with natural Keshi pearls and intricate tiny gilt leaves, which are wired to a Baroque-motif open-work frame that dangles another gem surrounded by a thick gilt-rope halo. Notably, Verdura is credited with re-introducing since Victorian times the rope motif to jewelry. Since 1930, Verdura's unique style was influenced by travels with Chanel to explore Byzantine art, Baroque architecture, and exotic flora-and-fauna among his native Italian aristocratic estate. The legendary fashion-editor Diane Vreeland and American entertainment-stars were among the first Chanel clients to acquire couture real-gem-adorned jewelry made by Verdura, while one of the two brooches treasured by Vreeland was titled "Theodora". See our photo of the Byzantine mosaic of Empress Theodora, whose image wearing many teardrop pearls above her chest and surrounded by a golden halo seems to be the inspiration for this brooch. As one of the most important modern-design collaborations, Chanel's close relationship with Verdura lasted largely-undocumented years in Paris, until he launched his first outside jewelry venture with a Hollywood designer-boutique after emigrating to the United States in 1934. By 1939 as a financially-backed in-demand goldsmith, he founded the namesake jewelry-company Verdura in NYC. After he retired in 1973, the brand continued to operate without him with different owners. Given the duo's designs that played with historic and military references, Chanel's couture commission for this purple medallion may have been sparked in the early 1930s when the internationally-new...Category
Vintage 1930s French Brooches
MaterialsAmethyst, Pearl, Quartz, Gold, Gilt Metal, Yellow Gold
- MiriamHaskell 1930s FrankHess TripleSeashell RussianGilt Flora WoodLeaf BroochBy Frank Hess for Miriam HaskellLocated in Chicago, ILThis early Miriam Haskell lacquered-shell and brass-decorated clip brooch was created by Frank Hess, her first designer since 1926. The 1930s brooch features three seashells supporti...Category
Vintage 1930s American Baroque Revival Brooches
MaterialsGold, Base Metal, Brass, Gilt Metal
- Antique Art&Crafts FiligreeGoldFill ScrollingTwisted DanglingHearts Shell BroochLocated in Chicago, ILEpitomizing the organic subjects and hand-craftsmanship spanning the Arts-&-Crafts to Art-Nouveau movements that were led in The United States by Louis Comfort Tiffany, this gifted o...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Arts and Crafts Brooches
MaterialsChalcedony, Coral, Turquoise, Gold-filled
- Black Tahitian Pearl Dutch DroogDesign 1998 Unique ThirdNipple GoldDisk BroochBy Artistian MadeLocated in Chicago, ILIn the 1990s when the Dutch collective Droog introduced international leaders of late 20th-Century functional art such as Ron Arad, Marcel Wanders, Jurgen Bey, Hella Jongerius, and Tejo Remy, the Netherlands-based brand was one of the most successful producers of conceptual design. The collaboration was co-founded in 1993 in Amsterdam by the jewelry and product designer Gijs Bakker (b. 1942), who commissioned his protege French artist Frederic Braham in 1998 to create this one-of-a-kind brooch for his young Droog-represented jewelry line "Chi ha paura...?". The Italian phrase means "who is afraid of?". This natural satin-lustre South Sea black-Tahitian 15 x 10 mm baroque thick-nacred pearl, which is bezel-set in oxidized sterling on a sharp silver stud for push-back fastening as a lapel or tie pin, is surrounded by a removable textured gold disk brooch with the Chiapaura maker's mark, artist's signature, abbreviated year and assay symbol. Notably, while farmed pearls from this French-Polynesian region are scarce, it is rarer to find one over 12mm. This dark gray one is also exceptional for its desirable secondary tone of peacock green with minimal surface imperfections. From normal use, the unseen back of the disk is missing chips of ecru enamel where it contacts the fastening knob. This reveals that the disk is solid gold. Like other functional conceptual design represented by Droog, the brooch is more than a beautiful piece of fine jewelry featuring multiple contrasting elements, as it could be a provocative "third nipple" if worn on a tie or scarf. Given the Dutch origin of the brand, we recall the famous 15th-Century oil-painting by Johannes Vermeer, known as "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Who is afraid of girl or boy with a third nipple? We acquired this brooch from a jewelry collector who had purchased it from the Italian gallery...Category
1990s Dutch Artist Brooches
MaterialsBlack Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Pearl, Gold, Silver, Mixed Metal, Sterling...
- MaryMcFadden 1970 TheMetCollected JewelrySeries Gilt Openwork Sculptural BroochBy Mary McFaddenLocated in Chicago, ILLike Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Hattie Carnegie, and Pauline Trigere, Mary McFadden produced jewelry in the 20th Century to compliment her own couture-clothing designs. Unlike those fashion designers, McFadden handcrafted her sculptural jewelry, whereby her studio designs in brass since...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Brooches
MaterialsGold, Gilt Metal, Brass
- 1941 ChanelRelevant American Reinad ArtDecoStyle Silver PolkaDot LargeBow BroochBy ReinadLocated in Chicago, ILIn Spring 1941 after French fashion couturier Gabriel "Coco" Chanel had stopped production of her clothing designs while she remained in Europe during the WWII era, the decades-old American costume-jewelry company Reinad began imprinting pieces in its new retail line, Chanel Novelty Co, with the script signature "Chanel". As this was prior to the use of the sans-serif capital-letter signature "CHANEL" on French-made jewelry that was commissioned by the Parisian designer, as well as before U.S.-copyright protection began in 1955, the House of Chanel that was mostly owned by the Jewish Wertheimer family of venture capitalists (who remarkably still produced Parfums CHANEL and French-vineyard wine via legal proxy while they lived in asylum in The States during the war) filed a U.S. lawsuit to demand that Reinad halt the use of its founder's famous last name. As the Werthheimers' quickly won, Reinad only produced the single seasonal collection stamped with the French brand name, and subsequently only imprinted its company name as the sans-serif capital-letter signature "REINAD" without a copyright symbol, which was different that its prior signatures dating back to its founding in 1922. When Chanel herself resumed French-made fashion production in Paris in 1953 (with Werthheimer support leading to their acquisition of all rights to her name despite her post-war eight-year exile in Switzerland due to close association with Nazis), for the first time all of her creations were signed "CHANEL" like the original packaging of the exceedingly profitable "No.5" perfume. While Reinad continued to produced costume jewelry until 1954, in the last decade of this business, the U.S. company continued to try to appeal to potential Chanel buyers by at least making Chanel-style designs. As such, owning an attractive and well-made Reinad piece can be considered a useful investment in fashion history as evidence of a little-known turning-point involving the most famous ongoing luxury-fashion business Chanel, as well as of the impact of that legal judgement had on advancing U.S. design protection for brands that later used the copyright symbol. Like early ArtDeco-style oversized heavy metallic costume jewelry by Chanel, this three-dimensional monochrome silver-alloy polkadot bow brooch imitates a pale polkadot-textured ribbon. Notably, while high-quality ribbon for styling hair or decorating clothing in a non-functional way was still an expensive accessory...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Brooches
MaterialsRhodium, Silver, Base Metal
- Van Cleef & Arpels Yellow Diamond Flower BroochBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYA resplendent piece by Van Cleef & Arpels, comprised of 218 fancy vivid yellow diamonds weighing approximately 25 carats VVS-VS, finely set in 18k yellow gold and designed as a quin...Category
Vintage 1980s American Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold
- Mexican Sterling Gazelle BroochLocated in New York, NYQuality Mexican Sterling Gazelle Brooch from the 1940's. Unknown maker of high quality with Deco overtones. Most Mexican jewelry of the period is hol...Category
Vintage 1940s Mexican Art Deco Brooches
MaterialsSterling Silver
- 18K Solid Gold Diamond Blue Bird BroochLocated in Scottsdale, AZCelebrate mid-century vintage elegance with the 18K Solid Gold Diamond Blue Bird Brooch – a truly one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Crafted from solid yellow gold, this brooch features a mama bird accompanied by two smaller blue birds, each adorned with different color eyes. The eyes are crafted from precious gemstones, with one pair being green emeralds, the second blue sapphires, and the third red rubies. Adding a vibrant pop of color, vintage Persian turquoise stones...Category
Vintage 1960s Lebanese Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Gold
- Silver BroochLocated in Carlsbad, CA-Brooch -SilverCategory
20th Century Brooches
MaterialsSilver
- Gold Cameo Brooch PendantLocated in Paris, FR19th century oval brooch-pendant decorated with a cameo depicting a young woman in Renaissance taste. Gold openwork mounts, heightened with pearls. 1...Category
Antique 1860s French Napoleon III Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsCoral, Gold
- Victorian Demantoid Garnet and Diamond Snake BroochLocated in London, GBHere we have a truly remarkable brooch dating back to the Victorian era. At the centre of this 15ct yellow gold piece, a flaming torch has been crafted with a snake wrapping itself a...Category
Antique 19th Century Victorian Brooches
MaterialsGarnet, Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Saw It at the Met Ball. Here’s What Camp Fashion Is Really About
This year's Costume Institute exhibition is all about embracing the eccentric.
The Met’s Latest Blockbuster Tells a Powerful Story through 230 Jewels
A captivating show at the Manhattan museum explores how jewelry has ornamented the body through the millennia — and redefines it as high art.