Personnage médiéval pendant

René Lalique
Circa 1900-1902
Gold, ivory, enamel, glass
Property of Shai Bandmann and Ronald Ooi

Thanks to the influence of the French architect Viollet-le-Duc, the Middle Ages were particularly in vogue at the end of the 19th century. René Lalique shared the architect’s belief that analysis was « the best way of developing the intelligence of both shape and judgement ». Mediaeval characters were nothing rare in Lalique’s jewellery, and he also took great interest in the way Mediaeval artists depicted plants and flowers in their decorative sculpture and painting. Ivory sculpted in high relief, with intricate detail, is also characteristic of this period.