Nouveau Livre de Desseins contenant les Ouvrages de la Joaillerie inventes et dessines par L. van der Cruycen en 1770, Title Page

Rectangular sheet of paper containing an engraving with the title page for a book of jewelry designs invented and created by L. van der Cruycen in 1770. The book, titled "Nouveau Livre de Desseins contenant les Ouvrages de la Joaillerie..." (New Book of Designs containing the Jewelry Works), contains a series of jewelry designs 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 designs present elaborately carved forms that were particularly sought after during the third quarter of the eighteenth century, which were to be accomplished by skilled artisans who would work out the decorations by hand. The use of various categories of jewelry design in one single sheet suggests an economical use of space for the publication of the book, which was probably intended for distribution among goldsmiths and silversmiths that would reproduce the objects from the drawings. It is also likely that many of the designs are real-sized.
The title page has a richly decorated ornamental frame that contains the full title of the book: "Nouveau Livre de desseins contenant les Ouvrages de la Joaillerie inventes et dessines par L Vander Cruycen en 1770. Se vend a Paris chez l'Auteur Rue du Harlay la 3me allee en entrant a droite par le Quai des Orfevres" (New Book of Designs containing Jewelry Works Invented and Drawn by L. van der Cruycen in 1770. Sold in Paris by the author at Rue du Harlay, third alley by entering right through the Quai des Orfevres). The frame contains a design motif composed of intersecting zig-zagging lines that form rows of alternating lozenges with rosettes of four petals inside. The upper side of the frame contains, in the middle, the head of a human figure with a jester decorating the neck, encircled by acanthus leaves that scroll around it to become part of the frame, and is bordered on top by an outer frame with interlacing ribbons and small rosettes. A garland of flowers, most of them resembling roses, and leaves, hands from this upper side of the frame, and ends at the middle of the sides, where acanthus leaves form small roundels that interrupt the pattern of lozenges. The lower side of the frame contains a basket with a bundle of flowers and leaves, decorated by a ribbon bow tied to the handle, and placed over an oval-shaped motif created by scrolling acanthus leaves. The acanthus leaves extend to the sides of the oval, and border the bottom part of the frame, forming small roundels on the lower corners.