Beschreibung:

A STYLISH DIAMOND "MELON-SLICE" CUFF BANGLE, RENE BOIVIN The front designed as a bombé section of pavé-set diamonds, joined to a platinum tapering cuff, mounted in platinum, circa 1932 With maker's mark for René Boivin (partially visible) Jeanne Boivin, eldest sister of the couturier, Paul Poiret took over the House of Boivin upon her husband's death 1917. She continued his pioneering work in design, preferring to establish her own style rather than bow to prevailing contemporary fashion, forging a timeless fashion statement that permits her jewelry to adapt perfectly to the lifestyle and dress of today. Madame Boivin was influenced by the rectilinear style of the Art Deco period with its reliance on two and three dimensional shapes. She disliked flat surfaces, preferring rounded and multi-leveled forms. The illustrated bracelet, inspired by the shape of a melon from which it derived its name, 'melon-slice' bracelet, is sculptural in its conception, fitting snugly around the wrist. Designed in a variety of materials including ivory, wood, steel, agate, gold and platinum, the first model was created in 1931. The following year, Madame Boivin created a more elaborate bracelet in platinum with a massing of diamonds seemingly sprinkled on the bombé-shaped base. The underside with its intricate webbing design is almost as wonderful as the surface. This is truly a bracelet that is as fashionable today as when it was first introduced sixty-five years ago. For additional information and an illustration of this bracelet as well as other varieties of this style, see Françoise Cailles, "René Boivin", London, 1994, pp. 174-175 and 203.