The desire to depict animals in art has always been strong, and the early history of jewelry, from Celtic brooches to Renaissance pendants, shows abundant examples of its appeal. The Jeweled Menagerie begins by painting a picture of this historical context, but its unifying focus is the great efflorescence of jewelry design in the modern period.

It was not until the nineteenth century, with the growth of a middle class eager to show off their recently acquired wealth, that a whole new group of designers and manufacturers, mainly in France, sought to satisfy the appetite for jewels of all types made of precious metals, precious or semiprecious gems, and enamel. There was a revival of Egyptian and Etruscan styles in which animals of all sorts were incorporated: birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish. The discovery of Japanese crafts also had an influence on the jewels that were created during the century. Prominent jewelry houses, such as Fontenay, Falize, Faberge, and Tiffany & Co., all created a spectacular array of animal jewels that are much prized today.

The new design developments from the turn of the century and through the whole of the twentieth -- Art Nouveau and Art Deco before the Second World War, but also a plethora of forms in the decades since -- contributed impressive animal jewelry, from Lalique's intricate insects to Cartier's panthers to the sophisticated imagery of Verdura.

Here for the first time the contents of this "jeweled menagerie" are examined in detail, showing the great imagination and skill that have gone into the fashioning of these precious objects. They exhibit not only meticulous craftsmanship, but grace, humor, and refinement. All lovers offine jewelry will be intrigued by the many examples of a demanding art, displayed lavishly here in color.

The depiction of animals in art goes back to prehistoric cave paintings; and the early history of jewelry, from ancient Egyptian scarabs to Renaissance pendants, shows abundant examples of animal imagery.In the nineteenth century a new group of designers, seeking to satisfy the growing middle class's appetite for jewels, revived the Egyptian and Etruscan styles. Animals of all sorts were incorporated: birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish. Prominent houses such as Fouquet, Fontenay, Falize, Faberge, and Tiffany all produced a spectacular array of animal jewels that are much prized today. Design developments throughout the twentieth century Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and those that followed contributed impressive animal jewelry, from Lalique's intricate insects to Cartier's panthers, from Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels to the sophisticated imagery of Verdura.This book examines in detail the denizens of this jeweled menagerie. Great imagination and technical skill have gone into the fashioning of these precious objects, which exhibit not only meticulous craftsmanship but also grace, humor, and refinement.