Design for a Haircomb with Flowers (Chrysanthemums?)
Drawing with a design for a haircomb, designed around 1900, part of an album of drawings by various artists for individual pieces of jewelry, containing a variety of designs in the Art Nouveau style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as well as some pieces in historic period styles. The haircomb in this drawing consists of a gray body with a strip of semi-abstract lozenge-shaped brilliants, six teeth, also gray, and a bundle of flowers with small, thin petals, possibly chrysanthemums, of different colors, including cream, blue, purple, orange, and red, and a larger, gray, star-like flower in the center. This design reveals the aesthetic of late Art Nouveau jewelry style, designed, among others, by Rene Lalique, which drew inspiration from antiquity and japonism, abandoning the exclusive use traditional precious stones in the manufacture of jewels, and using, instead, a combination of gold, gemstones, semi-precious stones, mother-of-pearl, ivory and horn, enamel, and glass, to create colorful, powerful, and sinuous designs, often presenting animal and other figurative motifs.
Artwork Details
- Title: Design for a Haircomb with Flowers (Chrysanthemums?)
- Artist: Anonymous, French, 19th century
- Date: ca. 1900
- Medium: Graphite, pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache on paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 9 13/16 × 6 7/16 in. (25 × 16.3 cm)
Album: 14 3/16 in. × 11 in. × 9/16 in. (36 × 28 × 1.5 cm) - Classifications: Albums, Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
- Object Number: 53.670.15
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jacques Caillot
ca. 1830–1920
Anonymous, French, 19th century
Pannier Frères
ca. 1900
Anonymous, French, 19th century
late 19th century
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1849
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1849
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.