Pansy Brooch

This magnificent brooch is an outstanding example of Lalique's floral jewelry creations, which due to their sheer size and delicacy, were probably never intended to be worn. Here, three overlapping pansies on either side of a central, simulated step-cut sapphire combine molded glass blossoms with openwork enameled petals growing out of stems also covered with translucent blue enamel. Henry Walters bought this piece from Lalique in 1904 at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.

This realistic brooch with its symmetrical design and use of glass and "plique-à-jour" (openwork) enamel for the petals anticipates Lalique's future work. Within several years, the artist abandoned both jewelry and the Art Nouveau style to devote himself to the production of glass molded in the Art Deco style.