- France, c. 1897–8
- Gold, enamel, horn and amethyst
- Inv. 1208
- Signed: LALIQUE
‘Cockerel’ diadem
Diadem in the form of a free-standing cockerel’s head, made of gold, horn and enamel, holding a quartz crystal – of cut amethyst – in its beak. This piece is remarkable for its delicate treatment of the cockerel’s comb and caruncles, in fine gold mesh, as well as the magnificent enamel work in iridescent tones of blue and green, so characteristic of Lalique’s jewellery. The comb, made of horn and formed of three teeth, is joined with a gold hinge. This piece of jewellery was displayed at the Paris Exposition in 1900, where, like his ‘Dragonfly’ corsage ornament, it provoked great shock and admiration, definitively consecrating Lalique’s reputation.
Acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian from René Lalique, 1904.
H. 9 cm; W. 15 cm
Ferreira 1999
Maria Teresa Gomes Ferreira, Lalique Joias. Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, 1999, p. 223, cat. 59.
Leite 2008
Maria Fernanda Passos Leite, René Lalique at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. Lisbon/Milan: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum/Skira, 2008, pp. 38–9, cat. 3.