Description
An outstandingly rare find nowadays- a pristine, statement, known necklace design c1900 by the firm of Levinger & Bissinger, Pforzheim, Germany. It is such an impressive pendant and to find it still complete with its matching chain with plique-a-jour spacers, well, it’s so remarkably scarce. Not many were sold initially with matching plique chains so they are even rarer to find because of this. In fabulous condition, this antique necklace is a Museum worthy piece of Jugendstil design. If you are a serious collector of Jugendstil, then this piece must surely sing to you!
I was pleasantly surprised to see the scale of the pendant-it is so much larger than I had expected (approx 6.2cm in height) and it really is in immaculate condition, with no damage at all to the plique-a-jour on both the pendant and matching chain. The “wings” on the pendant fade from dark green in the centre to pale green at the tips. There is an arrangement of three pearls at the centre of the design and a further pearl is suspended below the main panel. There are ten green plique spacers throughout the chain. There has been a catch replacement at some point in her history. The chain measures approx
Those sinuous Art Nouveau / Jugendstil lines flow freely through the design and it is just an astoundingly beautiful thing. The pendant is stamped DEPOSE to the verso and has tiny French marks, so it seems she sped from Pforzheim to neighbouring France in her early years. A confirmed Levinger & Bisinger design, the same design in purple plique and amethyst was sold by the excellent Van Den Bosch gallery in London and there have been one or two other examples in the past I have found (sometimes not marked with the HL stamp too) yet, none have appeared with an original matching plique chain. They are rare-I found the same chain (in blue plique) confirmed as Lev Biss on page 210 of “Art Nouveau Jewellery from Pforzheim” by Fritz Falk (please see photo).
I shall send this exceptional piece by express courier in a new necklace presentation box (not the box in the images) or else by Royal mail’s special delivery within the UK. Thank you.
Lit: “Art Nouveau Jewellery from Pforzheim” Fritz Falk
“Jugendstil Schmuck” Ulrike von Hase-Schmundt
