Joaillerie: Album of Jewelry Designs, Page 11

Eleventh page of a small album containing drawings with jewelry designs copied after the prints by L. van der Cruycen, "Nouveau Livre de Desseins..." (New Book of Designs...), published in Paris in 1770. This page contains a design for an aigrette, characteristic of the style in vogue during the reign of Louis XVI in France, displaying a serendipitous flavor, with asymmetrical forms, "rocaille" and stylized natural motifs, and heavily decorated with flowers, ribbons and tassels, thus representing the taste of the Rococo style, which was fashionable in France and Europe during the eighteenth century. The elaborately carved forms presented in the designs were particularly sought after during the third quarter of the eighteenth century, and were to be accomplished by skilled artisans who would work out the decorations by hand.
The design for an aigrette formed with branches of stylized leaves, wheat ears and exotic flowers that are tied together by a ribbon bowknot.
The design in this drawing is a copy after plate number 8 of the album of engravings by Van der Cruycen.