669 - Decorative Arts - Jewelry

Decorative Arts - Jewelry and Emil Sommé, Paul Sommé, Emil and Paul. Collection of jewelry designs by the Royal Prussian Court Jewelers, the Sommé Brothers, Breslau, from the late Biedermeier period to Historicism. With 194 (a few folded) drawings in ink, watercolor, gouache, and graphite, some highlighted in white and gold, on cardboard, vellum, and tissue paper, some on a black, dark red, or golden-brown background. Breslau and Berlin, ca. 1839–1895. Sizes range from approx. 6.5 x 4 cm to 22.5 x 10 cm. Some are signed, dated, and numbered, including “Emil. Sommé” or “Paul Sommé” with the notation “Berlin 1882.” One sheet bears the seal of the Berlin Goldsmiths’ Guild. Contemporary red morocco binding with gilded inner edges, endpapers of marbled paper. Rainer Lemor, Rainer Sachs: Crescent Moon and Sun, Vol. 2: Jewelers, Goldsmiths, and Silversmiths in Breslau 1888–1945. Kassel 2011. - Hintze, The Breslau Goldsmiths, 1906. - Cf. Christie’s, Important Jewellery, Sale 7286, Lot 112 (tiara in a case by Gebr. Sommé Nachf.) - This extremely rare and extensive collection showcases the design repertoire of the court jewelers and one of Silesia’s leading jewelry firms over nearly five decades. The designs, executed with great finesse and rich in detail, begin with naturalistic floral brooches, some of which end in en pampille with moving fringes. These are followed by Holbeinesque pendants and earrings with enamel medallions, as well as diamond necklaces and rivières. The highlight is the collection of ceremonial tiaras: star-shaped tiaras with seven or three stars are featured alongside tiaras with floral rosettes or a central cartouche. The wardrobe of the time also included nine variations of aigrettes, lyre brooches and pins, a large festoon-style chest ornament serving as a “devant de corsage,” as well as monograms, bows, and portrait brooches featuring cameos or miniatures. Celestial bodies form a distinct theme. Crescents, suns, stars, and comets were among the preferred jewelry motifs of the late 19th century. Diamonds dominate the gemstone settings. The collection primarily features old-cut stones, which stand out as larger solitaires at the centers of the stars and rosettes. The rays and tendrils are filled with small roses and single-cut diamonds. The tiaras also feature angular stones in cushion and square cuts, as well as freely swinging, teardrop-shaped pendent stones. The rivières consist of old-cut brilliant-cut diamonds in single settings, graded by size; one variation also features small rosettes composed of several stones. Colored gemstones provide deliberate accents. For example, a pendant features an oval sapphire—likely a cabochon—set in a brilliant-cut frame above a pair of birds. The inner curve of the crescent-shaped aigrettes is set with a row of small sapphires, while monograms and an arrowhead are set with precisely cut rubies or garnets (calibré). At the center of a Neo-Baroque pendant is an emerald, likely step-cut, and a ring features a head made of turquoises in the shape of a forget-me-not flower. The Holbeinesque pendants are the most richly colored: An oval red cabochon is paired with a colorless table-cut stone and enamel in blue, pink, and white; pearls hang below as pendent loquats. Pearls also appear in crescent-shaped and quatrefoil brooches, as well as at the ends of fringes. The setting techniques, too, are reproduced very precisely in the drawings. The design apparently calls for the silver-on-gold mounting that was customary at the time. The silver front makes the diamonds appear white, while the gold back provides stability. The large stones are set in chatons and prong settings, while the angular stones of the tiara are set in box settings. Rays and leaves are densely set in pavé. Many edges are finely dotted, indicating millegriffes—edges made of tiny metal granules. It is noteworthy that this type of edge appeared even before the platinum jewelry of the Belle Époque. Many pieces are worked à jour—that is, openwork and translucent from the back. The rows of stones are depicted as filigree settings. For some flower branches, a tremblant setting on spiral springs is conceivable, in which the flowers tremble when worn, even though the drawings alone do not confirm this. The Neo-Renaissance pendants and monograms feature colored enamel, presumably champlevé and enamel on a raised surface (en ronde bosse). The aigrettes have a mount for feathers. Some of the stars and bouquets were likely detachable and could be worn as a tiara, hair ornament, or brooch. The Sommé family was originally from Sweden. Samuel Jacob Somme, born in 1768, was the son of a Swedish Inspector General. With a pair of earrings featuring rosettes as his masterpiece, he became a master craftsman and citizen in Breslau in 1794. His sons carried on the craft. Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Robert, born in 1805, acquired