David Webb: The Animal Jeweler Who Conquered New York

Published on 23 June 2023, by Sophie Reyssat

Auction on 06 July 2023 - 14:30 (CEST) - 164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle - 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine

Typical of the bracelets that made him famous with American celebrities from the 1960s onwards, this spectacular enameled hippopotamus is a fine illustration of the jeweler's daring creativity.

David Webb (1925-1975), "Hippopotamus" cuff bracelet in gold, yellow sapphire, black... David Webb: The Animal Jeweler Who Conquered New York

David Webb (1925-1975), "Hippopotamus" cuff bracelet in gold, yellow sapphire, black enamel and cabochon emeralds, c. 1970, signed, l. around 14 cm/5.5 in, 139.9 g/4.9 oz.
Estimate: €15,000/25,000

"Women are tired of jewelry that looks like jewelry: they want one-of-a-kind pieces [...] Animals are here to stay," said American jeweler David Webb , creator of this imaginative hippopotamus. Jeanne Toussaint had shown the way in the France of the 1920s by including animals in Cartier's jewelry sets, which were given a new lease of life through her exotic style and culminated in the "Panthère" collection launched 30 years later. In New York at that…

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