Art Nouveau jewelry is often described as the most tantalizing, exotic, and technically sophisticated adornments ever created. The elegant simplicity of this brooch by Art Nouveau proponent and jeweler Paul Liénard understates its fine workmanship. The brooch features a central mabe pearl flanked by two clusters of cast-gold seaweed fronds with a remarkable undulating quality. The seaweed’s stems form elegant ellipses joined to plant-shaped prongs that hold the luminous pearl in place. Similar to other Art Nouveau ornaments, the decoration on the underside of this jewel reiterates the design elements on the front. Liénard created several ornaments using the seaweed motif; he also used it for his border design for the early 20th-century jewelry magazine, La Revue de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Orfèvrerie.

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