Antique Limoges Enamel Necklace
Tax included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Drop A Hint
-
A rare French Art Nouveau enamel necklace, c.1910, crafted in 18K gold and set with two vivid Limoges enamel plaques signed by Thoumieux of Limoges. The design centres on a stylised crescent-shaped openwork section, decorated with fine scrolling gold wire, from which suspends a tapered enamel drop. The enamels are designed to imitate the shifting play of colour seen in opal, with flashes of electric blue, green, gold and violet beneath the glassy surface.Limoges had been one of Europe’s great centres of enamel production since the Middle Ages, and by the late 19th and early 20th century its enamellers were again producing highly decorative works for jewellery and objects. Thoumieux belongs to this later Limoges revival, working in a richly iridescent style that used layered enamel and foil-like effects to create depth and movement in the surface. Although French in origin, the necklace has a clear affinity with British Arts and Crafts jewellery of the same period, particularly the openwork forms of Archibald Knox and Charles Horner, while remaining firmly within the French Art Nouveau taste for fluid line, hand craftsmanship and colour.The necklace is struck with the French eagle-head mark for 18K gold and has a spring-ring clasp. The central openwork section measures approximately 4cm wide, with the lower pendant drop measuring approximately 3cm. The full chain length is 48cm, or approximately 19 inches. Total weight: 8.8g. Condition is excellent, with only very minor imperfections to the enamel; the colours remain strong, the gold frame is sound, and the necklace is fully wearable.A fine and unusual French Art Nouveau Limoges enamel necklace, signed by Thoumieux; beautifully balanced, highly decorative, and a rare survival from the early 20th-century revival of Limoges enamel jewellery.
A rare French Art Nouveau enamel necklace, c.1910, crafted in 18K gold and set with two vivid Limoges enamel plaques signed by Thoumieux of Limoges. The design centres on a stylised crescent-shaped openwork section, decorated with fine scrolling gold wire, from which suspends a tapered enamel drop. The enamels are designed to imitate the shifting play of colour seen in opal, with flashes of electric blue, green, gold and violet beneath the glassy surface.
Limoges had been one of Europe’s great centres of enamel production since the Middle Ages, and by the late 19th and early 20th century its enamellers were again producing highly decorative works for jewellery and objects. Thoumieux belongs to this later Limoges revival, working in a richly iridescent style that used layered enamel and foil-like effects to create depth and movement in the surface. Although French in origin, the necklace has a clear affinity with British Arts and Crafts jewellery of the same period, particularly the openwork forms of Archibald Knox and Charles Horner, while remaining firmly within the French Art Nouveau taste for fluid line, hand craftsmanship and colour.
The necklace is struck with the French eagle-head mark for 18K gold and has a spring-ring clasp. The central openwork section measures approximately 4cm wide, with the lower pendant drop measuring approximately 3cm. The full chain length is 48cm, or approximately 19 inches. Total weight: 8.8g. Condition is excellent, with only very minor imperfections to the enamel; the colours remain strong, the gold frame is sound, and the necklace is fully wearable.
A fine and unusual French Art Nouveau Limoges enamel necklace, signed by Thoumieux; beautifully balanced, highly decorative, and a rare survival from the early 20th-century revival of Limoges enamel jewellery.
OUR PROMISE
We will always guarantee the authenticity of every piece we sell
We offer a no questions asked 30-day return policy on all orders
All our items are sent boxed and gift wrapped with free global insured shipping
We examine, describe and photograph all our jewellery with the utmost care
