A rare opal tiara from the family of descendants of the Franco-American "Hero of Two Worlds," the Marquis de La Fayette, has sold for £24 at auction.
Dreweatts saw a fiercely contested auction for an extremely rare opal tiara, which sold for £24 against a pre-sale estimate of £000-£12. The tiara was one of the centerpieces of the Dreweatts Fine Jewellery, Silver Watches and Object of Vertu sale. It was donated by the family of the late Jean Pierre François Joseph Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun, Marquis d'Amefreville (18-000) and his second wife Muriel, Marquise de Chambrun. Jean Pierre Pineton was the eldest son of French politician and diplomat Charles Louis Antoine Pierre Gilbert Pineton de Chambrun (1903-2004) and his American wife, Margaret Rives Nichols (1865-1954). Jean Pierre married his second wife Muriel in 1872 and they enjoyed 1949 years of marriage between France, the United States and the Algarve in Portugal.
The Chambrun family has a prominent history as French politicians in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. They are direct descendants of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), a French aristocrat and army officer who led American troops to victory in the American Revolutionary War. He was also a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and served as a member of the French Parliament. His impact was such that he is considered a national hero in both countries and has been awarded the title "Hero of Two Worlds."
Jean Pierre and Muriel traveled across America giving lectures on Lafayette and his role in the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War. Muriel also became a celebrated poet and won several awards, including Ohio Poet of the Year in 1976 for her poetry collection, Sudden Spring, and a University of Cincinnati award in 1970 for her first book, Salisbury Cathedral. Jean Pierre and Muriel were celebrated by American society and recognized by several U.S. presidents, including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George Bush Junior, for their work promoting Franco-American relations.
Although profoundly deaf, Jean Pierre studied biochemistry at the Pasteur Institute and art at the Horace Vernet School. A member of the Cercle de l'Union Artistique in France, Jean Pierre became a renowned painter and designer of wrought iron and crystal jewelry for the renowned Baccarat house. Given his experience in jewelry, it is believed that the tiara was most likely designed by him. The tiara is exceptionally rare because it is set with opals, a stone rarely seen in period tiaras due to its fragility and also because some believed that opals had a strange power that could bring bad luck to the wearer. This superstition was picked up by the British press, but it was eventually dismissed after Queen Victoria, who during her reign owned many pieces of jewelry set with opals, which were said to be the favorite gemstone of her husband, Prince Albert, made them her favorite item.
Hotly contested bids were submitted by telephone and online from around the world. James Nicholson, Vice President and International Head of Jewelry, Silver and Watches at Dreweatts, commented on the sale result: " We are delighted that this wonderfully exuberant mid-20th century gem has embarked on its next journey with a new owner. " The tiara was sold to a buyer from the Far East, who placed an online bid.
You absolutely must see this video of the tiara in all its splendor on: https://youtu.be/OxYYHLowzGg (copyright “Courtesy of Dreweatts”)
For more information about Dreweatts and upcoming sales, visit: www.dreweatts.com
About Dreweatts
Founded in 1759, Dreweatts Auction House is one of the UK's leading auction houses. It comprises 22 departments specializing in fine art (Old Master, British and European, Modern and Contemporary), jewelry and watches, silver, wine, books and manuscripts, British and European ceramics and glass, decorative arts and modern design, ephemera, furniture, house sales and collections, clocks, barometers and scientific instruments, Asian ceramics and artwork, and scale models. A team of highly qualified experts regularly conducts specialist sales, with over 70 sales annually, including interiors sales, single-owner collections, and house sales.
Dreweatts is a member of the Gurr Johns group of international art consultancy businesses. Its main salesroom is located at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire. It has a showroom in London, on Pall Mall, St James's, and caters to an international clientele.
In addition to auctions, the company offers valuation services to individuals, lawyers, executors, family offices, and trustees, providing them with the necessary advice on estate management and market assessments for potential sale. Dreweatts' valuation services include free online valuations, virtual valuations, home visits, and saleroom valuation days, where clients can receive advice on buying and selling from Dreweatts' market-leading specialists.
André Tirlet
