Necklace - Hop tendril

René Lalique, the master of jewellery, the outstanding Paris figure of Art Nouveau, who reached world fame at the 1900 Paris World Fair, had an extended interest in various glass techniques. He devoted his work solely to this from the first decade of the twentieth century. This fine and delicate émail plique a jour enamel glass necklace depicts a naturalistically coiling hop tendril. The glass leaves are transparent, while the plastic hop flowers are etched opaque. This necklace, closely following the line of the neck and fitting to it, belongs to a frequent type of jewellery of the Art Nouveau. It was put on with a wide silk band or – as an old photo shows – with parallel pearls.