Month: October 2022

Jean Painleve Seahorse Black Bakelite and Brass Art Deco Cuff Bracelet

This cuff is in good condition. The panels are solid and have no damage. The gold plating has worn off in various places within the cuff but it no noticeable when worn. Wear a piece of Jean Painlevé bakelite jewellery, and you’re not just wearing Art Deco, but also a slice of cinema history. The son of Paul Painlevé, a mathematician and senior statesman, Jean Painlevé graduated from the Sorbonne in physics, chemistry and biology. With a promising academic career ahead of him, the world was his oyster. But Painlevé had his own ideas. From 1925, he began taking a serious interest in cinema. As a biologist, he was convinced of the potential of film to bring the beauty and wonder of science to a wider audience. His early films earned the admiration of surrealist figures such as André Breton and Man Ray. But, strange as it seems today, they scandalised the scientific establishment. Science, you see, was far too noble for the medium of Charlie Chaplin! Painlevé’s breakthrough came in 1935, with his film, L’Hippocampe (The Seahorse). The documentary follows a seahorse couple as they share parenting. In an astonishing role reversal, it shows the male seahorse releasing the babies from his pouch, as though he is actually giving birth. The research was serious and original. As for the film, well, it was a sensation. Which brings us to the jewellery, one of the earliest examples of film merchandising. Riding the wave of success, in 1936, Painlevé and his wife, Ginette commissioned a range of seahorse accessories under the label JHP (H as in Hippocampe). One thing led to another; a boutique in Paris’s rue de Braque, another near the place de l’Opera. Painlevé Art Deco jewellery was manufactured to an extremely high standard. The coloured plaques are made of galalith or bakelite, topped with an animal motif, screw-mounted on a brass setting. Examples include pendants, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, dress clips and earrings. As time went on, the Painlevés added new motifs, such as the salamander (lizard) and a mythical creature, the griffin. But it was the seahorse – Painlevé’s “living aquatic sculpture” – that most captured popular imagination. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Bracelets & Charms”. The seller is “minadorasterling” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Country of Origin: France
• Type: Bracelet
• Main Stone Color: no stone
• Color: Black
• Brand: Jeam Painleve
• Style: Art Deco, Sea Life, Sea Horse, Jean Paonleve, L’Hippocampe, Cuff
• Base Metal: Brass
• Material: Bakelite