Jewellery, Silver and Objects of Vertu

A 22ct gold azurite crystal and sapphire necklace by Louis Osman, 1982, the articulated necklace with detachable central pendant drop, composed of graduated azurite crystals in irregular gold closed back settings, the principal links each supporting a central rectangular step-cut sapphire with irregular gold panel links between, to a panel link collar back chain, highlighted with further small azurite crystals, hallmarked for London 1982, with maker’s mark ‘LO’, in original fitted case, necklace length approximately 34cm. £20,000-£30,000


Please note ARR will apply to this lot (Artist’s Resale Rights).

The sapphires in this suite were acquired by Maurice Jenkins from the Perth jewellers Mazzucchelli’s over regular trips to Australia during the late 1960s and 1970s. Louis and Mrs Jenkins began discussing the commission of this necklace in July 1976; however, amongst other various explanations given for the delays, this period coincided with the Osman family leaving Canons Ashby and struggling to find the right premises to which to relocate their household and workshops. In the event, the necklace was eventually finished in 1982. In one of a number of letters to Dorothy Jenkins, Louis apologised for the ongoing delays:
“Necklace progresses but is taking far longer than I had thought with a hell of a waste of time travelling to & fro : but it WILL be worth it as ‘Treasures of the Jenkins’ instead of ‘Treasure of the Gonzagas!’. Leonardo da Vinci was also two years late for them but then they were blowing each other up at the time!”
Once the necklace was completed, in a subsequent letter to Mrs Jenkins, Louis shared that “I consider it one of the best things, artistically, that I’ve ever done & this view is shared by the aged 35 artist/jeweller that I have working for me, & who worked on it with me. He says its [sic] the only jewel that has ever given him the ‘whoomph feeling in the pit of his stomach : like some rare pieces of music do’, which is nice. I regard azurite as quite the equal to any diamond or Ruby youd [sic] see at Buckingham Palace...”


Exhibited:
Louis Osman Jewellery Exhibition, by The British Council of Arts, in Lisbon, 14 November - 11 December 1990. The reverse of the bespoke case bears a sticker for this exhibition. Paperwork related to this exhibition, including details of this piece can be viewed at the Tate Archive, London (ref: TGA 200317/4/12).


An original pen and watercolour design for this suite was sold as part of The Personal Archive of Louis Osman at Noonans on 27 March 2018 (lot 288).



This lot is accompanied by photocopies of paperwork and press cuttings, and an original leaflet relating to the Louis Osman Jewellery, Lisbon exhibition, and photocopies of paperwork relating to the exhibition In Celebration of Gold and Silver.


This lot is also accompanied by further related correspondence.

This lot is accompanied by hand written correspondence between Louis Osman and Mrs Jenkins regarding the commission of this suite:
A letter discussing planning the design of the necklace, dated 5th July 1976.
An invoice for interim payment, dated 5 July 1976.
A letter, written from Skibbreen, explaining the delay in the commission.
A letter discussing a delivery date for the necklace, dated 28 October 1981.
A letter explaining that work on the necklace is in progress and apologising for the two year delay, dated 20 November 1981.
A letter explaining that the necklace is still not finished, dated 27 January 1982.
A letter confirming that the hallmarking is complete and that the assembly is due to begin, dated 9 April 1982.
A hand written valuation of the necklace, dated June 1982.
A letter referring to the necklace, dated 12 November 1983.

This lot is also accompanied by photocopies of paperwork and press cuttings, and an original leaflet relating to the Louis Osman Jewellery, Lisbon exhibition, and photocopies of paperwork relating to the exhibition In Celebration of Gold and Silver.