Manhattan Voodoo

Magnificent diamond brooch in gold by Marianne Ostier, New York ca. 1960

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

In the 1950s and 1960s, New York finally rose to become the center of culture and business in the Western world. While Europe's former status had crumbled into rubble with the war, the city of skyscrapers, theaters and museums shone as a beacon to the world. What was new and important in fashion and art was now finally established here. No wonder that the leading jewelers and goldsmiths of this time, which is now famous as Midcentury Modern, were also to be found here on the Hudson. Marianne Ostier (1902-1976) was one of those artists and her biography is almost typical of her time. Born Marianne Aufricht, she married Otto Österreicher from a family of court jewelers of the kuk ruling house while still in Vienna. In 1938 the couple fled from the Nazis to New York to start anew under the now new name Ostier. The Ostier Inc. studio was located in Manhattan, the center of the city. Here Marianne now designed jewels in the modern forms of the time. At first she was committed to Art Deco, but from the 1950s she increasingly worked in an abstract, organic formal language, which her public received with great enthusiasm. Several extremely successful years followed, during which Marianne Ostier was able to design and sell precious jewels. A particular success were jewellery pieces whose details resemble algae, branches or tree bark; famous is her large "Voodoo" necklace, with diamonds and emeralds in front of a bed of yellow-gold branches. Marianne Ostier closed her company in 1969 after the death of her husband. Here now is a large brooch from the hands of Marianne Ostier, an object made of high karat yellow gold that resembles bark or bark from which grows a luminous white shining plant of platinum and diamonds. It is the play of surface designs that fascinates the eye and that Ostrich masterfully orchestrates. Smooth areas are juxtaposed with velvety matte areas, the compact-looking background carries the light structure of platinum as if floating, yellow and white separate themselves and yet become one. The brooch is richly set with diamonds. There is an independent expert opinion about the qualities of the materials. The brooch is marked and signed and according to its design it was made around 1960. It is in first-class condition and came to us from a Hanoverian collection.

Size & Details

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Manhattan Voodoo

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