No. 16 — René Lalique
Cattleya orchid hair ornament
| Artist | René Lalique, 1860–1945 |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1903–1904 |
| Medium | gold, enamel, horn and diamonds |
| City | Lisbon |
| Location | Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon — permanent display in the dedicated Lalique room |
Among the jewels Lalique made for Calouste Gulbenkian is a hair ornament modelled as a cattleya orchid, its petals of horn and enamel rendered with botanical accuracy and set with diamonds.
It represents the mature phase in which Lalique abandoned precious stones almost entirely in favour of glass, horn and enamel judged for artistic effect rather than intrinsic value.
It belongs to the Gulbenkian commissioning programme permanently displayed in the Lisbon museum's Lalique gallery.
A single orchid bloom of horn and enamel opening across a golden comb, dew-tipped with diamonds.
The companion piece
A single orchid bloom of horn and enamel opening across a golden comb, dew-tipped with diamonds. The algorithm runs live above; when WebGL sleeps, the drawn still takes its place.
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