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A jewellery historian chances upon a
100-year-old book—and magic happens.
Esmée Sanders shines a light on the history of
art and jewellery design using a collection of
19th-century prints by French artist
Albert Charles Auguste Racinet
Patterned
Legacy It was a complete series of L’Ornement
Polychrome by French artist, art historian and
publicist Albert Charles Auguste Racinet.
The book consists of 100 plates that were
published in 10 parts between 1869 and 1873;
a second edition of 120 plates, was published
in 1875. The inspirational guide brings the
archaeological art and polychromy of the past
into the present.
As an art historian and an antique jewellery
specialist, I knew a collection of this sort was
valuable, both monetarily and historically.
Buying it was the only option—and I did. I cut
a deal with the seller and took my treasure,
wrapped in an ordinary plastic bag, home.
When Racinet compiled L’Ornement
Polychrome, it was an era of discovery, progress
and invention. With the construction of the
Suez Canal in the 1860s, the journey between
Europe and Asia suddenly became much
shorter, opening up hitherto inaccessible
worlds for many travellers. That same decade
saw major archaeological excavations taking
place in Egypt, and in Italy at Herculaneum and
Pompeii, revealing long-lost artefacts to the
European public. Etruscan pieces were brought
back to Europe, and interest in the classical,
medieval and Renaissance periods saw a strong
revival.
The arts were affected significantly by these
discoveries, as architects, artists, decorators
and jewellers became interested in reviving
ancient techniques and motifs, creating
pieces that imitated or resembled classical
styles. The work of Racinet supplied the
needed information on those archaeological
arts at the time. With Racinet as creative
director, more than 20 distinguished artists
contributed to the first volume of L’Ornement
Polychrome, creating a masterpiece that would
prove to inspire many artists and designers of
the 19th century.
It certainly inspired me to comb through
jewellery archives to find amazing pieces that
make L’Ornement Polychrome’s wonderful
patterns come to life. Every one of Racinet’s
prints reveal a deep relationship between
jewellery and ornamentation within the same
eras, retelling history through patterns
and gems.
19TH-CENTURY CHINESE
lithography by f Durin
Pastel green forms the background for an array
of swirly Chinese motifs. Like a Miró painting,
the lotus flowers, peonies, ribbons, leaves,
tea caddies, snuff boxes and paper scrolls
float around on the colour. In contrast to the
floating motifs on pastel green, the yellow
ochre provides a more stable background,
where the pink peonies and blue flowers,
together with two geometrical Chinese-style
n 2013, the inspiration for this story came
into being while I was rummaging through the
market stalls at the Saturday morning book market
in the heart of Amsterdam’s historic centre. A
bright-coloured, contemporary-looking print with
primitive motifs caught my eye. I picked it up;
underneath another colourful plate appeared, this
time with Renaissance-inspired motifs—symmetric
floral and figurative designs in bright contrasting
colours with gold and silver highlights. I was looking at
a collection totalling 100 prints—chromolithographic
plates dating from the 19th century, to be exact.
FEATHERED
FRIEND
A Qing dynasty
hair ornament
with kingfisher
feathers was
transformed into
this Fleur du
Palais sapphire
and diamond
brooch by
Lamouche
Joaillerie
FLEURDUPALAISBROOCHIMAGE:LAMOUCHEJOAILLERIE

2. hong kong tatler jewels . october 2015 54 hong kong tatler jewels . october 2015
patterns, form symmetrical shapes.
The bright blue of the flowers made me
think of a rare type of Chinese jewellery, where
the electric-blue feathers of the kingfisher
create an amazing effect. Kingfisher feathers
were used for centuries by the Chinese to
denote status and wealth, using a technique
called tian-tsui. Delicately, the fine feathers
were glued onto vermeil or silver, resulting
in jewels dotted with kingfishers. The effect
is similar to cloisonné, with a striking, never-
fade array of bright blues. Kingfisher as a high
art form came to an end during the Chinese
Communist Revolution of 1949.
A great match for this design is the
Fleur du Palais brooch, a rare 19th-century
kingfisher feather hair ornament, revamped
into a one-of-a-kind sapphire and diamond
brooch by Lamouche Joaillerie. The jeweller
has certainly succeeded in remastering the
art form to renovate the antique, turning the
ornament into a contemporary jewel with an
inspiring narrative.
Middle Ages
lithography by F Durin
These plates showcase colourful floral motifs
from the Middle Ages, with the sharp lines
of the leaf and floral motifs, detailed flowers
and a delicate method of colouring. This is a
perfect homage to the complexity and beauty
of nature.
The botanic motifs and the pop of bright-
orange detailing could easily have been the
inspiration for a pair of late-19th-century
French ear pendants, each consisting of three
descending carved coral flower heads set in a
ornamented gold mount.
BAROQUE BLISS Left:This
enamelled gold necklace from
Western Europe—the bow
from 1660, and the chain and
pendant from the 19th century
from the Victoria and Albert
Museum, London—showcases
the swirly motifs of the Baroque
and Rococo styles as seen in
the lithography by Dufour and
Jeanningros (below left)
FLOWER POWER Clockwise from left: Floral Chinese motifs
on a 19th century print by F Durin; the floral patterns on this
Middle Ages print by are realised in a pair of gold and coral neo-
Etruscan ear pendants from France (circa 1880)
LITHOGRAPHYIMAGES:L’ORNEMENT
POLYCHROMEPUBLISHEDBYFirmin-Didot
17th and 18th Centuries
lithography by Dufour
& Jeanningros
These prints show the swirly motifs of the
Baroque and Rococo styles of the late 17th
century and the bulk of the 18th century. The
full-on floral ornamentation in blue, white,
oxblood red and ochre yellow is complex, yet
airy and graceful due to the delicate, elegant
style of drawing.
I’m reminded of an important jewel that is
part of the extensive jewellery collection of
the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
This enamelled gold necklace with pendant,
set with diamonds and hung with a pearl and
a large polished sapphire drop, is a beautiful
marriage of 17th- and 19th-century design.
The large bow was made in 1660, while the
matching chain and pendant was made in the
19th century.
This is a fantastic example of the interest
in motifs of the past, and the birth of revival
styles in the second half of the 19th century.
Bows and floral ornamentations were often
used in the swirly decorations and jewellery
design of the 17th and 18th centuries. The bow
and the links of the necklace are decorated
with a light blue and white opaque enamel, the
rims emphasised with a delicate black motif of
painted dots and stripes, and the bow set with
table-cut stones.
THREE down, 97 to go
My love affair with Racinet’s L’Ornement
Polychrome is far from over. With 97 prints left
in the old brown leather folder, I’m looking
forward to more creative connections—and to
finding as much inspiration as my 19th-century
colleagues in this patterned legacy.