Jugendstil holly brooch enamel plique-a-jour

Jugendstil holly brooch enamel plique-a-jour : silver brooch representing a branch of holly with the leaves made in green plique-à-jour enamel. In the centre three coral beads form the red berries, the fruit of the holly. Monogramed Hermann and Speck. Art Nouveau work from Pforzheim, circa 1905-1015, Jugendstil period, Germany. 

Monogram HS for Hermann (Karl Hermann) & Speck (Albert Speck), 900 for silver 900 thousandths, mention « Deposé ».

Length: 4.2 cm
Height : 1,5 cm 

Note: the pin is made of metal, the fastening system works.

Weight: 4,16 gr 

The plique-à-jour is a glazing technique, which can be clearly seen in the second photo. It is an enameling technique very fashionable in the 19th century. Similar to the cloisonné technique, it consists in the application of enamels without a metallic background. In such a way that the enamelled jewel, once heated, lets the light in through its transparency or translucency and lets the colors bewitch the observer. To better understand, we could say that it is a miniature stained glass. The great masters of Art Nouveau were passionate about it, René Lalique, Eugène Feuillâtre, Henri Vever, etc. In Japan, this technique is known as “shoota-hippo”. In the world of contemporary jewelry, the great Russian jewelry artist Ilgiz Fazulzyanov specializes in enamel and does not hide from being inspired by Rene Lalique.