Footnotes

Illustrated
L. Mouillefarine and V. Ristelhueber, 'Raymond Templier: Le bijou moderne', Editions Norma, Paris, 2005, page 149. A copy of this book accompanies the lot.

Raymond Templier (1891-1968) was one of the great jewellers of the Art Deco period whose creative vision pushed boundaries and drove change in jewellery design. Often referred to as the "architect of the jewel", Templier embodied the modernist principals of the Art Deco aesthetic by creating jewels along sleek, geometric lines. He was one of the first jewellers to be inspired directly by city life and spoke of seeing ideas for jewellery everywhere: "as I walk the streets..the wheels, the cars." He was also deeply involved in the contemporary art scene; in 1930, he founded the Union des Artistes Modernes along with other designers, architects and jewellers Jean Fouquet and Gerard Sandoz, all wishing to break from established tradition. In 1932, the critic Paul Sentenac likened him to celebrated avant garde artists of the age including poet Paul Valéry, designer and architect Le Corbusier and founder of Cubism, Picasso.

Templier's minimalist jewels, meticulously created with "mathematical rhythm", were odes to modern technology featuring everything from architectural elements to components of machinery. He viewed jewellery with the eyes of a sculptor or architect; he believed jewels should be three-dimensional, tangible objects and not just flat, decorated surfaces. His designs show restrained simplicity, celebrating form and texture over superfluous detail, often playing with opposites such as curved and straight lines, hollow and voluminous forms and matt and brilliant surfaces. The designs perfectly complemented the new fashions of the day whereby the post-war woman, liberated from the corset, wore clothes along straight, androgynous lines. Dresses were often sleeveless and bracelets and cuffs were a popular way to 'dress' the arms; often multiple bracelets were worn at once.

This bracelet, made in 1932, is not only characteristic of Templier's distinctive style but a rare survivor from the period. Its stylised 'tank-track' form alludes to modern machinery. Its clean, understated silhouette is realised in platinum, a material that had only recently earned its status as a precious metal in 1912 and enabled sculptural jewels to have an unexpected lightness and sense of movement. The brilliant-cut diamonds add contrast to an otherwise smooth, polished surface. Although conceived nearly a century ago, it manages to be at once emblematic of its era while still appearing contemporary today.