- France, c. 1898–1900
- Gold, enamel and chrysoprase
- Inv. 1133
- Signed: LALIQUE
‘Female figure’ choker plaque
Choker plaque with a convex rectangular shape, made of chiselled gold and lavender-blue enamel. At the centre of the piece is a female face carved out of chrysoprase, surrounded by gold ribbons and bows with blue enamel. Three opium poppies, also with blue-coloured enamel, frame the composition. Along with the ‘Peacock’ corsage ornament and ‘Forest’ pendant, this is one of the first pieces of jewellery that Calouste Gulbenkian acquired directly from René Lalique in 1900, the same year as the artist’s definitive consecration in the Paris Exposition.
Acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian from René Lalique, 1900.
H. 5.3 cm; W. 9 cm
Ferreira 1999
Maria Teresa Gomes Ferreira, Lalique Joias. Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, 1999, p. 91, cat. 2.
Leite 2008
Maria Fernanda Passos Leite, René Lalique at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. Lisbon/Milan: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum/Skira, 2008, pp. 44–5, cat. 6.