The great War had receded into history and another, horrifying beyond comprehension waited in the wings, creating in Europe a climate of perceptual urgency unparalleled for centuries. Old class structures had been decimated and were being replaced in painful but exciting ways. Talented individuals who had been courageous and fortunate enough to endure, created and implemented dramatic changes in the syntax of art and design with such conviction and forcefulness that their collective influence has permeated the arts for most of this century.

Paris in particular was a focus of enchantment, a magic mirror: a reaffirmation of life as it was meant to be lived and those who could not be there longed in some way to capture the tiniest part of its reflection. It was said there was not a woman in the Western World, (and many in the East) who did not long to be "Dressed by Paris". The name of Maurice Chevalier was on everyone's lips and a sensational black American named Josephine Baker, wearing an almost non-existent costume of bananas, burst upon the stage of the Theatre de Champs Elysees.

The show was the Revue Négre, and Baker was the living embodiment of one of the new kinds of beauty already appearing in the works of the great artists and artisans as they discovered the exotic power of African art.

It was a time to be alive...to be a new person in a new world. The image was the Garconne (boyish girl) and she represented the revolutionary Bourgeoisie. She, with her male counterpart 'the Modern Young Man', thrust themselves into multidisciplinary fields with unbounded gusto. As decorators, fashion designers, stage designers and creators of effects and costume jewellery, they spent their days creating and their nights 'high-tailing' it around town...perhaps to enjoy 'Le Jazz Hot' which was ousting the gypsy violins, and if the Tango became tiresome the sounds of the Charleston made a perfect musical backdrop for their 'flaming youth'. It was a time to be young, even if you were not!

The wildness and apparent superficiality of the time brought for the detractors, many of them men and women of great talent and intellect. Their manifestos presented philosophical concepts at odds with a world hell-bent on pleasure. Orien Hebrard mocked these 'decorators' saying, "Today the decorative artist is the man of the moment. He is the advisor of beautiful women", and in an uncharacteristically gloomy mood Noel Coward wrote "Cocktails and laughter...but what comes after?" It is easy for us to be wise in hindsight.

In any period there are those who are, or believe themselves to be before their time. Just such a man was Oscar Wilde who in 1890, in the preface to "The Picture of Dorian Gray" wrote, "All art is at once both surface and symbol". Almost two decades later, there appeared a quintessential example of this statement, the now legendary "Arts Decoratifs", referring to the dominant style of the years from the end of Art Nouveau to the rise of the Bauhaus. The name 'Art Deco' or simply 'Deco' was coined after the Paris revival in 1966 and later reaffirmed in "The World of Art Deco" exhibition presented in America in 1971. As a style it has taken on cult proportions since the 1960s. For collectors and scholars alike it presents a perverse and tantalizing face, embodying as it does a conglomerate of design philosophies and ornamental syntax, many at total variance with each other. In 'specialist' Deco shops the buyer is confronted with austere objects reflecting the American Paul Frankl's axiom of extreme modernism, ornament Equals Crime - "sharing the same glass case and category (by proximity and implication), as a matching clock and vase set posing as an Egyptian pyramid!"

The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 had a profound influence on design as far afield as Hollywood. The richness and beauty of the objects discovered had a mystery and decadence which brought worldwide gasps of admiration, combined with a curiosity with the 'Pharoah's Curse' and subsequent 'unexplained deaths'. The latter became an obsession which has continued unabated via the cult of Egyptology today. If one looks at the major aesthetic panorama of early twentieth century style, a large proportion of the art world and its followers were obsessed with all things exotic or 'foreign'.

As early as 1909 when the genius of Diaghileve had introduced the Ballet Russe to Britain and Europe, the fantasy world of oriental style ballets stimulated fashions for elaborate ornaments of onyx, crystal, coral and jade. Leon Bakst's superlative costume designs gave vibrant colour back to Europe; canary yellow, bright blue, jade, cyclamen, henna and reds dramatically contrasted with background of black, deep green and tobacco browns. Paris in the 1920s had a large Russian population of refugees from the Bolshevik Revolution some of whom had managed to smuggle jewels and antiques. These were to surface in the shops of Paris selling Czarist jewellery, relics and objets d'art. The fashion designer Paul Poiret (1880-1944), remembered for his extreme orientalism, was in the circle of Diaghilev and his influential friends. Poiret's turbans and minaret skirts were in perfect harmony with this exotic even 'barbaric' jewellery: indeed both Bakst and Raoul Dufy designed fabrics for him. His influence on fashion both then and now is profound and major contemporary designers like Zandra Rhodes pay homage to his work as a design source.

Madeline Vionnet who founded her Salon in 1912, was the first designer in modern history to work on a bias cut which stimulated a recognition of the beauty that a lengthening line can give a woman's figure. Her dresses were noted for their art deco embroideries, a magnificent and theatrical background for the dramatic jewellery of this period. Classic early deco motifs included baskets of conventionalized flowers, octagonal panels and of course, Chinese symbols held sway. However, there were many whose tastes ran to the near legendary world of Persia and Arabia. This bias in nostalgia was given impetus by the publication of Dr. Mardrus's translations into French of "The Thousand and One Nights' Entertainments" which appeared between 1896 - 1904.

These influential design tributaries swelled to bursting point and the high-tide mark of Art Deco occurred on the 16th of May 1925 at the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriel's Modernes, in which industrial design shared equal status with the decorative arts. The grand exhibition encapsulated many of the aesthetic concepts and philosophical and sociological theories forecast in the previous post-war exhibitions. Vast, even by contemporary standards it has become a major event in the history of Twentieth Century design. Wartime allies of France were the major participants; Austria also took part, but the United States did not exhibit nor did Germany whose invitation was issued too late!

Of the various major categories into which this exhibition was divided, four hundred jewellery firms shared a singular privilege, for they alone were permitted to derive ideas and motifs from other times and other places. The 'Progressive Rule' applied to other categories including architecture and furniture which stated: No exhibit will be accepted which imitates earlier styles or lacks either stylistic or functional novelty or originality. In terms of evolutionary design history, this was of course, an almost impossible requirement, however most designers were inspired by the maximum challenge and some very original concepts were presented.

Louis Cartier was Vice President of the organisation committee for the 'Parure' (jewellery) Category. He had strong personal beliefs in cross-disciplinary design and this included the then radical concept that jewellery was an integral part of relevant costume and should be displayed with appropriate fashion garments. He stated that "modern decorative art in all its forms is to be understood as a living reality...a desk lamp can only be properly judged when actually alight on a table". He chose novel ways to present his work and at one gala evening mistinguett appeared as a "Diamond Solitaire" accompanied by girls from the Casino de Paris dressed as gemstones.

It was in this exhibition that the geometric forms of modernism were presented beside the stylized flowers of Art Deco, giving rise to the concept of stylistic duality. Between 1922 and 1925, Cartier created 150 pieces of jewellery, most of it especially made for the exhibition. These included the newest long earrings in emeralds, lapis lazuli or onyx and the geometric link bracelets which remained popular until World War II. The dominant colour combination at Cartier was the black/white contrast of diamonds and onyx, however, not one large diamond necklace was included. Instead the emphasis was placed 'artistically' with colour contrast in pendant forms of coral beads emerald 'grapes' and pearl tassels linked dramatically on silken black cords or omnipresent onyx cylinders. Cartier brooches provided an inexhaustible variety of form and perfect fashion adaptability, often being used as belt buckles or ornaments for hats and shoes.

Jewellery tends to fall into three 'natural' categories: Precious, Decorative and Costume. The Precious, in a monetary sense is that which incorporates gold or platinum set with diamonds, sapphires, rubies or emeralds and is frequently conservative in design, perhaps with a preconceived destiny of future inheritance. The value of the stones is often far greater than the design/craftsmanship involved. Many beautifully designed pieces from the Twenties have been fated to be dismantled and the gems reset in accordance with prevailing fashions. In contrast, Decorative jewellery, using semi-precious stones set in gold or silver is more often acquired for its beautiful workmanship or the artistry of its design. The French Decorative jewellery of the Twenties nurtured a quality of chic which has married well with fashionable clothing to the present day. It survived through its ability to span the decades. In response to this triumph of less expensive stones, the vocabulary of the diamond trade was enriched with new ideas and terms: batons, trapezes and caliber's were all new variations on the traditional forms of cutting precious stones; techniques which wee also used to add brilliance and lustre to gemstones in their newer lighter settings.

The Costume category, is now known as 'Frankly Fake'. Coco Chanel is generally credited with having made artificial jewellery permissible, even desirable for daytime wear. She is well known for her philosophy of restraint and omission claiming that the secret of fashion lies in simplicity. Her trademark, the Chanel suit, with its flat cubist lines was enchanced by a profusion of layered gold chain necklaces incorporating fake jewels or very chic sets of clips for hats, necklines, earrings and bracelets. The Chanel look has enjoyed numerous revivals including the 1980s version complete with hairbow and fake Deco gardinia.

During the 1920s utterly smart jewellery and accessories were produced to democratically place style within reach of those economically strained by the onset of the Great Depression. As early as 1921, articles had begun to appear in fashion periodicals giving advice on how to dress well on a limited income. A very important new factor was the invention of artificial materials like rhodoid, galalithe and macroloague, substances from which ornaments in a variety of colours could be inexpensively mass produced. The simplicity of the chemise dress and the more active lives women were leading were complemented by the 'worry-free' decoration of artificial pearl necklaces, often quite large in size and dyed in improbable colours. For both day and evening wear, above-the-elbow bangels of ivory, metal or enamel drew the eye to the bare arms they encircled, and decorative handkerchiefs or chiffon scarves further emphasised the wearer's presence in a most subtle manner. It was later that these bangles were transformed into the massive, African style armlets so favoured by costume designers for use in theatre and film sets in the twenties.

In 1922 the craze for silver swept most aspects of design including the areas of furniture and interiors. This was to last for several years and preference for silver above gold influenced all forms of dress. Silver tissues, laces, lames and fringes were dramatically combined with backgrounds of black, coral or jade green. Many a smart English debutante in her Tea gown by 'Dove' preferred her necklaces in silver, platinum or nickel worn interlaced with ivory, crystal or onyx. In England during this period, well dressed women either bought their clothes directly from Paris or shops like Debenham and Freebody who sold English versions of original French models. the long ropes of beads in ivory, jade, amber, pearl or even painted wood were extremely adaptable, worn on the flat, frontal elongated design, down the back over one shoulder or even wound around a leg! This particular piece of jewellery is of course an almost archetypal image in the realm of the legendary Twenties 'flapper'.

In slightly earlier times the hair was dressed in a bun or wound over each ear in classic 'ear phones' style. These shapes distorted the new cloche hats, which were ornamented with brooches of onyx, crystal or coral and hair was consequently bobbed, bindled, shingled, and eventually Eton-cropped. Long earrings were stylistically suited to this more convenient short hair and as with contemporary styles it was not uncommon to see 'odd' or asymmetrical earrings - often a large pearl stud on one ear and a long onyx and pearl drop on the other. Cosmetics worn during the daytime achieved a degree of respectability and smart young things began to emulate the look of Clara Bow, 'The It girl' who, with other Hollywood stars, began to paint their mouths in small heart shapes or cupid's bows like Japanese Geisha girls. An entirely new range of jewelled objects of vanity was required: powder compacts, lipstick and rouge containers. The public primping and restoration of one's make-up as an artwork became a charming and very seductive ritual performance.

An excellent solution to the task of decoratively transporting these numerous grooming aids was a particularly delicate post-war accessory known as the 'Nécesaire de Dame' or simply, the Vanity Case. As Taboos concerning females smoking had been partially dispelled, particularly in sophisticated circles, the later Art Deco vanity cases included cigarette compartments. Special cases were inscribed with monograms which also appeared on many other fashion items of the period including the de rigueur silk pyjamas.

A luxurious vanity case, enamelled and engraved could occupy a total of 800 man hours to produce. Small wonder they were such highly prized (and priced) objects and so urgently reproduced by machine. There were various stylistic influences on their decoration. Form and function was intrinsically suited to the discreet 'small unit' geometrical patterns of the Arab world; Chinese cube and bar combinations co-existed quite happily with echoes of cubism and the stepped pyramids of Sth American pre-Hispanic cultures. When viewed in cross-section, they had the dynamism of a jagged lightning bolt. Fortunately for those who continued to seek figurative motifs, exotic animal forms like the panther and leopard continued to endure.

Towards the latter part of the Twenties, exquisite Chinoiserie vanity cases were created by Cartier. These incorporated ancient Chinese lacquer plaques. From 1888, the Cartier case display handled Chinese lacquer when the Vicomtesse de Bonnemain sent them an antique cabinet to be reconstructed as a jewel case. By 1913 they were also producing Chinese inspired mother-of-pearl cigarette cases which were mass produced much later in the early pearlised celluloids. All the basic Chinese symbols were utilized; earth, sea, heaven and in a chilling glimpse of the future, the swastika was a frequently incorporated motif. This symbol was used in the design language of numerous cultures as far apart as Scandinavia and Peru long before the Nazi appropriation; a horrifying image when compared with its Chinese connotations where it is regarded as one of Buddha's sixty-five auspicious footprints or as the seal of his heart.

One also discovered vanity cases which could be attached, for convenience sake, to a finger ring or button. These were often horizontally compartmentalized, threaded on a securing silken cord or enamelled chain and were influenced by the Japanese Inra which contained medicines and other small items. Monochrome Lacquers (often with a tortoise shell appearance were considered a chic finish although most Western artisans used about twenty layers on good pieces only...modern times did not permit the two hundred separately dried layers of Ming period Chinese lacquer.

Much of the jewellery presented and collected as Art Deco since the 1960s revival is in fact part of the stylistic backlash against the original style as perceived by its creators. The occasion of the grand Paris Expo of '25 brought the truly innovative into a surge of outspoken rebellion.

Le Corbusier raged.

"We protest in the name of everything. In the name of happiness and well being, in the name of reason and culture and morality, and in the name of good taste.

It is said that decoration is necessary to our existence. Let us correct that. Art is necessary to us, that is to say, it is a disinterested passion which elevates us...culture is a step towards inner life".

At the centre of this design vortex was the celebrated Bauhaus of Germany where Walter Gropius, its founder, hoped to create fresh approaches to even the most fundamental problems of design assisted by such creative artists, architects and designers as Feininger, Itten, Paul Klee, Kandinsky and Maholy-Nagy. He achieved what he set out to do. Between the years 1919 and 1933 (when it was closed by the Nazis), less than 500 graduates became the products of one of the most enlightened systems of design education. They spread their knowledge across the world laying the foundation of powerful design ethics which were the very antithesis of preoccupation with the exotic and fabulous. The machine itself became an inspiration. Corbusier had referred to the machine as having "snapped all chains, opened all doors and cast its eyes in very direction". This obsession with machinery was superbly brought to concrete realisation in the Jean Fouquet bracelets of ebonite rings enclosing chromium-plated ball bearings leaving the heads of connecting screws unconcealed.

We have recently seen in the 1970s and 80s "High Tech", or industrial style jewellery. However most jewellery buyers of the 1930s irrespective of financial status preferred the more sumptuous styles shown 'larger than life' on the Hollywood screen.

The majority of early movie makers started out in the fashion industry and completely understood the public taste for fantasy, illusions and all aspects of the romantic and amusing side of life. Glittering in the darkness of the grand new cinemas, diamonds seemed bigger, furs thicker, silks and velvets richer. Metro Goldwyn Mayer's motto was, "make it big, Do it right, Give it class". The famous platinum blonde replaced the exotic vamp and the Chaplinesque waif; the 'gold digger' philosophy that 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend' was launched. Erte, the grandest most exotic of French designers, went to Hollywood to work in an exact replica of his French studio.

Wealthy women all over the world became entrapped by the sheer glamour and effrontery of this new American style and the great jewellers created the 'classic' Hollywood Deco bracelet in diamonds, whilst the manufacturers of costume jewellery produced endless rhinestone copies. They were often beautifully made with each individual 'gem' clawed into place to form that solid 'wall of glitter' which gave every 1920s woman her moment of glory on the stage of suburbia. At social gatherings on both sides of the Atlantic, it became increasingly difficult to spot the real Duchess or the real Star.

 

Both authentic and fake Art Deco jewellery has brought joy to the eyes and hearts of its collectors for more than fifty years, and in the words of the immortal Mae West, when asked if her jewellery was good said, "Goodness had nothing to do with it Hone!"