Woman's Dress

c. 1876

aubergine silk satin with green, peach, brown, and white silk and silk chenille machine embroidery in satin and basket stitches, peach glass beads, metal beads

unknown maker, United States

Alistair K. MacDonald (Scottish, 1880-1948)

Yellow silk brocade ballgown

1840s

Stag Beetle Brooch

c. 1880

Northern Europe

Single Spout and Bridge Vessel in the Form of a Dog Gnawing a Bone

Lewis Baumer (British, 1870-1963)

Bodice Ornament & Hair Comb

René Lalique

1903-1904

The Art Nouveau style caused a dramatic shift in jewellery design, reaching a peak around 1900 when it triumphed at the Paris International Exhibition.

Its followers created sinuous, organic pieces whose undercurrents of eroticism and death were a world away from the floral motifs of earlier generations. Art Nouveau jewellers like René Lalique also distanced themselves from conventional precious stones and put greater emphasis on the subtle effects of materials such as glass, horn and enamel.

René Lalique, 'the admitted king of Paris fashions', chose his materials for aesthetic effect and artistic refinement, not for mere preciousness or brilliance. Credited with introducing horn into the jewellery repertoire, he dazzled the public with a collection of ornamental combs made of horn. They were moulded and sculpted in the shape of flowers, waves and butterflies.