An Art Deco silver letter opener - image-1 An Art Deco silver letter opener - image-2 An Art Deco silver letter opener - image-3 An Art Deco silver letter opener - image-4 An Art Deco silver letter opener - image-5

Lot 1173 D ‡ α

An Art Deco silver letter opener

Auction 1117 - overview Cologne
16.11.2018, 16:30 - Selected Works of Art
Estimate: 6.000 € - 8.000 €
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An Art Deco silver letter opener

Carved ivory letter opener, the terminal pierced and with a design of stylised parrots, above this a gilt bronze relief with a figure of Buddha Shakyamuni decorated with coloured gemstones and paste and engraved with Sanscrit inscription to the reverse as the handle. Unmarked. A minute loss to the ivory. L 22 cm.
Attributed to Cartier, London, 1940s.

World War II put a great deal of pressure on Cartier to be inventive and creative in their designs, not least due to the scarcity of raw materials and precious metals. Platinum was virtually unavailable on the market, and the French National Bank banned the wholesale of gold in 1940.

Provenance

South German private collection, purchased on the London art market in the 1980s.

Literature

S. Nadelhoffer, Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary, London 1984, S. 280.