A GEM-SET 'EPOUVANTAIL' PENDANT/BROOCH, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, CIRCA 1965

Modelled as a scarecrow draped with textured gold clothing and hat, accented by a brilliant-cut diamond buttons, with...

A GEM-SET 'EPOUVANTAIL' PENDANT/BROOCH, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, CIRCA 1965

Modelled as a scarecrow draped with textured gold clothing and hat, accented by a brilliant-cut diamond buttons, with sapphire and ruby cabochon highlights and green chalcedony head, mounted in 18K gold, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, numbered, maker's mark for 'Péry & Fils', French assay marks, length (excluding bale): 5.6cm

 

Jackie Kennedy Onassis purchased a scarecrow brooch of same design by Van Cleef & Arpels, which she was seen wearing on several occasions. In 1996, Sotheby's New York held 'The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' auction where the brooch was included (lot 384) and sold for $101,500. The Van Cleef & Arpels collection alone formed a large collection of the sale.

 

Maison Péry

Maison Péry was established in 1875 by Lucien Péry, whose elegant gold chains attracted the attention of the jewellers housed in the place Vendome. The company was run by four generations of Pery's, from Lucien's son Albert, to his grandson Bernard who was the father of the great Brigitte Pery who went on to manage the business for four decades.

 

Albert's encounter with Monsieur Salière in the early 1900s proved to be seminal for Maison Pery's development. Monsieur Salière was working as a salesman in a department store, La Belle Jardinière, and amongst his clients were the Arpels Brothers. He introduced Albert to the brothers and this led to a lifelong collaboration between the two. The first piece of jewellery produced by this new partnership, in 1925 was a flat knitted bracelet. This family connection extended further with Albert beginning to work with Renee Puissant, daughter of the founder Alfred Van Cleef and Esther Arpels.

 

Albert's work at this time was prolific, producing new designs almost every week. However, when the Second World War broke out, Albert was taken prisoner and the workshop was closed for six years. Once the conflict ended, the production started again slowly, increasing in the 1950s with examples of highly important commissions such as the official sword given to Marshall June as a gift on his membership to the French Academy in 1953.

 

The continued support of Van Cleef & Arpels, particularly after the War, was integral to the success of Maison Péry. Each generation of the VCA has strengthened the links between the companies. With Pierre Arpels, the creation of smaller and more affordable pieces of jewellery allowed Maison Pery to move into the emerging market of serial manufacturing. With the opening of the first VCA shop 'La Boutique' in 1954, Pierre understood the importance of making the brand more accessible to the general public and a younger clientele.

 

In the 20th century, the connection between the master jeweller and the designer was of the up-most importance, with the creation of signature pieces made to the highest quality by incredibly skilled individuals. The Péry workshops were behind some of the most iconic 'bestsellers' such as the Domino jewellery sets; the flexible curved ribbons of the 'couscous passementri' and most notably the Ludo bracelet.

 

Maison Péry also worked exclusively on VCA's couture collections, using highly complex techniques to realise the elaborate designs. Amongst the most notable are the production of string chains and pompoms, and the infamous zipper, which has gone on to become a classic of the house.

 

The third generation to take over the management of the company, Bernard Péry was alert to the potential risks of being too heavily reliant on a single client. He began to make connections with other jewellery houses and started collaborations, first with Paolo Bulgari, which lasted for two decades, followed by Boucheron, Mauboussin, Templier and Tiffany. His daughter Brigitte was of similar business acumen and when she took over, she continued to pursue this strategy. Amongst her collaborators were Graff, Dior, Fabergé and Mikimoto.

 

The development of the company was of paramount importance for Brigitte, to ensure Maison Péry remained relevant in the 21st century. In 2008 she launched a large-scale training program for the workshops in order to promote innovation and modernise the production techniques of the company. Adopting new design processes ensured versatility and allowed Maison Péry to compete on an international stage.

 

In 2011, she finally decided to sell her family's company to the then President of the Richemont Group, Stanislas de Quercize.

 

 

 

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