Miniature wearable works of art created by leading artists are currently a big trend in the art market.
Those in the know say that there has been an increase of interest from collectors who are seeking the next pendant by Georges Braque, or a new broach by Claude Lalanne.
Other notable names within the wearable works of arts names are Duchamp, Braque, Calder, Giacometti, Man Ray, Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois, Sophia Vari, Claude Lalanne Dali, Anish Kapoor and Philipe Hiquily.
More than a collaboration, the jewellers use visual artists to make pieces, as when the house Bvlgari asks Anish Kapoor to work on the reinterpretation of the ring B.zero1. Another example of this kind occurs when Jeff Koons reduces to extreme his famous Rabbit for the home Stella McCartney.
Long intended for a limited market of connoisseurs, the ‘little masterpieces’ started to appear in auction houses, galleries and fairs since the turn of the 21st century.
Barnebys is a search engine for objects of arts and antiques founded by Sweden’s Pontus Silfverstolpe and Christopher Barkenow. It partners some 3,000 auction houses around the world.
It said on these works of arts: “The advantage is that they are more affordable than a canvas or sculpture and represent the perfect opportunity to acquire a piece of a grand master for a lower price. By browsing the auction houses and specialized galleries, it is now possible to find a Lalanne butterfly brooch between €1,500 and 42,000 euros, a “compression” of Caesar for €6,400 euros or a Dalí pendant between €4,000 and €5,000 euros.
“Some emblematic pieces reach auction records. This is the case of the portrait ring of Dora Maar sold at 656,779 euros in June 2017 by Sotheby’s London or the pin The Eye of Time of Dali sold 755,368 euros by Sotheby’s New York in 2014.
“Producing unique pieces or just a few copies, jewellery by big name artists represents a real investment opportunity. The main characteristic of the artist’s jewel is its raison d’être, because if very little distinguishes it from the work on a larger scale of which it is the echo, it is sentimental and intended to be worn as an adornment on the body.
“The result of a cultural and creative gesture, it is almost never produced in multiple form and so gives the object a considerable rarity value. In effect it is a real little museum piece to carry on oneself.”
(picture shows a necklace by Calder which sold for $602,500)
