Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique (California Studies on Global Conflict and Cooperation) - Tapa dura

"If `luscious' is a word that can be used to describe a book, then this book is luscious."-Antiques & Collectibles for Pleasure & Profit * Antiques & Collectibles for Pleasure & Profit * "Four informative essays give first a general picture of luxury in the Belle Epoque, and then place the designers in the social and cultural milieus of the three cities in which they thrived, Moscow, New York, and Paris."-Linda Rosenkrantz, creators.com -- Linda Rosenkrantz * creators.com *

A sumptuous volume that tells the story of how three iconic designers in prewar Europe created and marketed jewelry as art Faberge, Tiffany, Lalique-these great designers came together only once to display their goods in what was probably the most opulent exhibition ever mounted. At the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, the three strove to position themselves ahead of their many competitors in the luxury market, each presenting his jewelry and home adornments as high art. Their success is explored in this splendidly illustrated catalogue, which elucidates the prewar pinnacle of European culture. The array of displayed objects was mesmerizing: Tiffany glass, Easter eggs to dazzle the Czars, realistic insects created in precious materials as sinister decorations. Many of these bore influences of the advanced art of the time, such as Art Nouveau, Viennese modernism, and symbolism, and of styles from around the world. Four essays discuss the works in the context of their times, illuminate the high societies served by the three masters, and trace the cultural trends behind their extraordinary creations. A treasure of accompanying photographs shows the individual exhibits, scenes from the World's Fair, and the glitterati who wore the jewelry.