Bangle Bracelet

Alexis Falize|Lucien Falize

ca. 1875 · Gold, cloisonné enamel · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Described by Lucien Falize as "intimate mementos…. as precious as illuminated parchments," gold bangle bracelets ornamented with brilliantly-colored enameled mottoes were a specialty of the Parisian jewelry house founded by his father, Alexis Falize, in 1838. Both father and son produced these romantic keepsakes, which were inspired by late fourteenth-century enameled and gem-set necklaces inscribed with "galantes devises" (chivalrous mottoes). The firm is best-known for its designs based on medieval European art, as well as on Near Eastern and Japanese sources. Renowned for their elegant designs and meticulous craftsmanship, the three-generation firm flourished well into the twentieth century, until its closure in 1936.

Artist

Alexis Falize|Lucien Falize

Date

ca. 1875

Medium

Gold, cloisonné enamel

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Albion Art Co. Ltd., 2018