No reserve price - Pendant Medallion Art Nouveau Jugendstil Kollmar & Jourdan c.1905 • American Gold and Ruby • Symmetry - Exclusive

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the engraving on the front represents a superb example of the transition between the sinuous naturalism of French floral Art Nouveau and the rigorous geometric evolution of Jugendstil of Austro-German origin. The engraved figure develops from a delicate central geometric form, a drop (or lozenge), from which two symmetrical opposing volutes unfold, recalling the classic whip motif (coup de fouet), but here interpreted with a nearly architectural formal clarity. This specific stylized figure evokes the abstraction of sacred botanical elements, midway between a revisited classical palmette and the organic lines of a fern or a flower bud about to unfold. The vertical tension of the design releases downward into a fine line, which acts as a stem and ends dramatically in the circular setting of the ruby. This bold contrast between the fluidity of the upper curves and the rigorous geometric symmetry of the whole embodies the very essence of the more cultured and avant-garde Liberty style. Note on manufacture and historical rarity: The pendant, with a diameter of 3.0 cm and a solid weight of 5.9 grams, bears inside the original, sharp stamp of the Kollmar & Jourdan (K&J) manufactory of Pforzheim, characterized by the letters KJ inscribed in an oval and traversed longitudinally by an arrow. Founded in 1885, Kollmar & Jourdan was one of the pioneering and leading companies in the processing of thick gold leaf (the famous Amerikaner Gold or Doublé), patenting techniques that allowed a molecular fusion between the gold leaf and the base metal to ensure durability over decades far superior to classic plating. A note of extreme collectible historical interest concerns the fate of the manufactory: the historic and monumental Kollmar & Jourdan plant in Pforzheim (designed by architect Baron H. de Fries) tragically ceased all war and civil production in February 1945, when the entire industrial area of the “city of gold” was razed to the ground by devastating Allied bombardments. The machinery, the original dies of the Liberty era, and the precious archives of drawings were entirely lost. This makes every pre-war piece stamped with the arrow a historically closed, non-reproducible rarity on the international antique market. The jewelry presents in excellent preserved condition. The hinge and the snap closure are perfectly cohesive, and the gilding wear is microscopic, testimony to the superb build quality of the original manufacture.