In addition to finger and earrings our jewellery artists are responsible for other objects, such as the bracelet, the watch, and the fan. I think it is very difficult to rescue the bracelet from conventionality. We must hope the best for the future. But what about watch-cases, especially those of ladies' watches? This art is quite neglected, not so much by the manufacturers as by the artists. At this year's Darmstadt Exhibition there were two watches displayed. One of them had the case enamelled, if I mistake not, in the form of a chrysanthemum, and on the other was modelled the figure of one of the "Fates." The effect of the chrysanthemum watch was fairly good, but the less said about the "Fate" the better. Why is it not possible to design an ornament with taste and furnish it with precious stones and enamel? It is the greatest pity that our sculptors have no imagination. Having arrived at the determination to think of a watch, the artist has no idea beyond depicting one of the "Fates" with the thread and the scissors. I said just now that the watch was neglected less by the manufacturers than by the artists. Nowadays you may find watches indeed with gaily-coloured cases, but the decorations are miserable, like everything else that is invented by the manufacturers. They don't want to pay a good price for the artist's sketch, and they are proud of the inspiration of their own Muse. In this case one cannot avoid the conclusion that the artists are themselves to blame for their neglect of this branch of the jeweller's art.
The condition of affairs with regard to the fan is also very astonishing. Why do our artists not supply our ladies with nice fans? Please do not confound "nice" with "precious." The fan as we know it now is so utterly "played out" that scarcely anything can be done with it. New arrangements of the feathers are invented; the handle is trimmed in different ways; new materials are used, but a really new and artistic idea cannot be devised. Titian's "Lady with the Fan" is admired; the fan is known very well, but nobody thinks of making use of it. Meanwhile another kind of fan is being more and more extensively employed. I refer to the palm-leaf of the Japanese and the Chinese. People are very fond of being fanned by these leaves, but nobody observes their artistic possibilities. An artist who can afford to be independent of mere fashion is therefore wanted to give new life to the fan. Such an artist will win lasting success.
A. Collar Ornament in Gold,
Enamel, Onyx, and Brilliants
B. Collar Ornament in Gold,
Enamel, and Brilliants
ROBERT KOCH