Wallis’s panther
A little interlude to note that the most expensive bracelet ever sold is pretty beautiful, and what a provenance! This is from a recent auction of Wallis Simpson’s jewels:
This flamingo pin is pretty fine, too. The Duchess must have liked her bejeweled critters:
Come to think of it, she was sort of a bejeweled critter herself, as well as a hunter of a different sort.
Gorgeous bracelet – seems almost alive in that photo, so a talented maker as well. A beautiful think to look at and maybe even own, but I don’t think I’d wear it anywhere!
Loved your final sentence! A gem.
That leopard is really something. I remember years ago, at least twenty five years ago, maybe more, Wallis Simpson’s jewels were at auction and Ted Koppel did a report about them on Nightline. Then he had a friend of Wallis’s, some Countess who had also been a spy for the allies in the French resistance or something like that, she came on and she started talking about the jewels. It was a wild episode. Definitely a window into a rarified and pretty unusual world. The jewels were so extraordinary, and the leopard pin stole the show. There’s just something about that leopard pin. Hope it gets a good owner.
julia NYC: just to be nitpicky, it’s a panther bracelet, not a leopard pin. Although I have to say the jewels do make it look like a leopard.
Here’s are some photos that show that it’s a bracelet.
Neo, your conclusion is very well put.
Can’t say that i like the style, it’s simply fitting the stones into the shape of the housing – be it a 3D panther or a 2D flamingo – not artistic, if you ask me, more of a technical craftsmanship.
But the person of Wallis Simpson is more interesting. Don’t know why the article calls her look “androgynous” – she is no more androgynous than an average Asian woman: delicately-boned, no frills, slim and graceful. Not “curvy”, though – but the ideal of feminine beauty of the time was far from “curvy” ( think Greta Garbo – rather “androgynous” too, by the standard of the article)
What I find artistic? Something like Gilan…
I find them gaudy, not beautiful. But it’s all a question of taste.
Right. Sorry. Great looking bracelet. Thanks for the picture link. And I love her clothes. The lady definitely had style. You don’t see that kind of flair anymore.
Margaret Atwood may be a heavy weight Canadian author but she’s always been a light weight politician. As a purveyor of post modernistic fiction she would be a fan of Obama (the 2008 model). She is really boring!
Sorry, posted in the wrong slot!!
I’m not a jewelry connoisseur by any means, but I think they look cool.
Edward’s butler heartily detested Wallis: “Hard woman. Mouth like a slit.”
Just saw “The Kings Speech” about that era – very good and superb acting!
Considered as sculpture, the flamingo’s pretty flat — but that panther has a true spark of life, along with the sparkle of the gems. Gaudy, yes, but gorgeous.
The flamingo looks like flashy costume jewelry, only with real gems. The bracelet is more interesting – but what on earth would you wear it with?
Actually, I think I began to dislike the Windsors, after watching a miniseries on Masterpiece Theater, sometime in the 1970s, and everything that has come out since then has made me think even less of them.
I find them gaudy, not beautiful. But it’s all a question of taste.
I’m with Tom. The word that leapt to my mind was “tacky.”
A (much, much cheaper) replica of either of these would be right at home coming out of a cereal box.