'Reflection'
Brooch
ca. 1940 (made)
ca. 1940 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The firm of Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin formed in 1929, and became an important presence on New York’s Park Avenue. Much of its success came from its distinctive line of ‘Reflection’ jewellery. The ‘Reflection’ line was the first to introduce the bold shapes and colours of modern European jewellery to America.
The jewels were made using the technique of casting, which allowed the firm to create pieces by experimenting with a range of standardised parts. Under the tag line ‘Reflection – Your Personality in a Jewel’ women were encouraged to decide on the arrangement of the parts themselves and create personalised jewellery at a lower cost than was possible with conventional bespoke jewels. The use of dramatic, semi-precious stones also increased their affordability.
The style of ‘Reflection’ jewellery was modified over time, and by the late 1930s and early 1940s it was characterised by the smooth curves evident in this piece.
The jewels were made using the technique of casting, which allowed the firm to create pieces by experimenting with a range of standardised parts. Under the tag line ‘Reflection – Your Personality in a Jewel’ women were encouraged to decide on the arrangement of the parts themselves and create personalised jewellery at a lower cost than was possible with conventional bespoke jewels. The use of dramatic, semi-precious stones also increased their affordability.
The style of ‘Reflection’ jewellery was modified over time, and by the late 1930s and early 1940s it was characterised by the smooth curves evident in this piece.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | 'Reflection' |
| Materials and techniques | White gold, sapphires, diamonds, moonstones |
| Brief description | 'Reflection' brooch, of white gold, sapphires, diamonds and moonstones, designed and made by Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin, USA, about 1940 |
| Physical description | Brooch of white gold, sapphires, diamonds and moonstones. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Summary | The firm of Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin formed in 1929, and became an important presence on New York’s Park Avenue. Much of its success came from its distinctive line of ‘Reflection’ jewellery. The ‘Reflection’ line was the first to introduce the bold shapes and colours of modern European jewellery to America. The jewels were made using the technique of casting, which allowed the firm to create pieces by experimenting with a range of standardised parts. Under the tag line ‘Reflection – Your Personality in a Jewel’ women were encouraged to decide on the arrangement of the parts themselves and create personalised jewellery at a lower cost than was possible with conventional bespoke jewels. The use of dramatic, semi-precious stones also increased their affordability. The style of ‘Reflection’ jewellery was modified over time, and by the late 1930s and early 1940s it was characterised by the smooth curves evident in this piece. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.168-1978 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | January 17, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
