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BISMARCK FAMILY CROWN

HOUSE OF KOCH Germany

Chignon crown c. 1900

Moonstones and diamonds set in an elaborate platinum mount, original leather box

The renowned “House of Koch” made this remarkable bejeweled chignon for the Bismarck family of Lauenburg, Germany. It is an early example of exquisite work in platinum and is set with cabochon moonstones and rose cut diamonds. The jewelry firm, known as the “House of Koch” was founded by Robert and Louis Koch in 1879 in Frankfurt, Germany with a branch in Baden-Baden. By 1883, the jewelers had earned the coveted title of Jeweler of the Court of Frankfurt and crafted jewels for many European Royal families. In fact, their jewels were famous across Europe, and their fashionable styles were worn in the courts of several European royals including the King of Italy and the Czar of Russia. By the time Robert Bosch had assumed control of the firm in 1938, the Koch family was forced to “Aryanize” their jewelry house. It was common during the late nineteenth Century for prestigious families to retool old antique heirloom pieces to bring them up to contemporary fashion standards and since this chignon has characteristics of both the 18th and the 19th Century jewelry, it was likely made from older pieces owned by the Bismarck family. The company closed doors in 1987 and jewels from the great time of the House of Koch are very much sought after in today’s antique jewelry market.

Italian Retro oval “Buckle” ring, 18K gold with a Florentine finish, marked, c. 1940’s

Length: 7 ½ inches x Width: 1½ inches

Weight: 5.55 Troy ounces / 172.7 grams / 111 pennyweights

*** The lion motif is modeled after the famous recumbent lions by Antonio Canova (Italy, 1757-1822), made for the monumental tomb of Clement XIII at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome

W.C. HANDY ed. (1973-1958) USA
“Blues – An Anthology” 1926
180pp. bound in blue cloth with original dust jacket. Very scarce work, considered the most famous blues collection in history, it includes historical notes, tunes and arrangements, notes for each song, a bibliography, and a chart of guitar chords.
With an introduction and notes by Abbe Niles
Illustrations by Miguel Covarrubias
Published by Albert & Charles Boni, New York

Dimensions:
Book: H: 11 ¾” x W: 9 1/8” x D: 1”
Custom leather box 2008: H: 13 13/16” x W: 10 3/8” x D: 2 7/16”
Custom silk slipcase: H: 15” x W: 11 1/8” x D: 3 3/8”

William Christopher Handy was a composer, musician and a music publisher. He was sometimes called the “Father of the Blues” and was credited with helping popularize blues music. Handy was a seminal figure in the development of American songwriting. His compositions assimilated folk tunes, blues, spirituals, minstrel songs, and elements of European music and forged a new sound in American popular commercial music. Born in Florence, Alabama, Handy began arranging music when in grade school. By the turn of the century, he had toured or was touring with a number of minstrel acts and bands. He became a leading bandleader in Memphis, Tennessee, and eventually wrote such classics as “The Memphis Blues” (1912), “The St. Louis Blues” (1914), and “Beale Street Blues” (1916). In addition to his songwriting, Handy also founded an important and influential music publishing concern, the Pace and Handy Music Company, in 1913. Finally, Handy’s books and writings, such as his autobiography, Father of the Blues (1941), and Blues: An Anthology (1926), comprise an important contribution to American culture. In 1979, New York City joined the list of institutions and municipalities to honor Handy by naming a stretch of West 52nd Street in Manhattan “W.C. Handy Place.”

KATHERINE S. DREIER (1877-1952)
“International Exhibition of Modern Art 1926” 1926
Arranged by The Societe Anonyme for the Brooklyn Museum
Published by Societe Anonyme, New York

Dimensions:
Book: H: 10 1/16” x W: 7 ½”
Custom leather box: H: 11 ¼” x W: 8 ¼” x D: 1 9/16”
Custom silk slipcase: H: 12” x W: 8 5/8” x D: 2 1/8”

Katherine Sophie Dreier was born on 10 September 1877 in Brooklyn, New York to Dorothea Adelheid and John Caspar Theodor Dreier, both immigrants from Bremen, Germany; she was the youngest of five children. Early on, Dreier manifested her dual interests in social issues and art. She was treasurer of the German Home for Recreation of Women and Children and helped to found the Little Italy Neighborhood Association in Brooklyn, New York. She studied art privately, then at the Brooklyn Art School and at Pratt Institute, and then with Walter Shirlaw (with whom Dreier’s sister, Dorothea, also studied). There was a strong identification in the Dreier home with German culture, and the family often traveled to Europe to visit relatives. Between 1907 and 1914, Dreier spent much of her time abroad, traveling, studying art, and exhibiting her work in one-artist shows. In New York, in 1916, through her work with the Society of Independent Artists, Dreier met Marcel Duchamp. He was to become a close friend and colleague, and an important figure in the history of the Societe Anonyme. In January 1920, Dreier, Duchamp, and Man Ray met in Dreier’s apartment in New York City to found the Societe Anonyme, a society to promote modern art among the American public. Dreier had wanted to call the society “The Modern Ark,” but Man Ray later claimed that he was the one to suggest the French phrase for “incorporated” instead. Dreier added the subtitle “Museum of Modern Art: 1920.” The Societe Anonyme sponsored many lectures, concerts, publications, and exhibitions concerning modern art, including the International Exhibition of Modern Art at the Brooklyn Museum in 1926. In spite of a major membership campaign in 1925, the Societe’s headquarters in New York City closed in 1928, and from this point on, the Societe Anonyme existed only through Dreier’s efforts. She continued to organize events that were sponsored by the Societe, and she accumulated artwork to add to the Societe Anonyme’s collection. In 1939, Dreier began developing a plan to open the Country Museum at her house in West Redding, Connecticut (the Haven), which would house the Societe Anonyme’s collection of artwork, as well as her private collection. After little success with other potential investors, Dreier approached Yale University about funding and maintaining the museum. Yale was hesitant, because of the high costs of renovating the Haven and maintaining it as a fire-proof museum, and instead offered as a compromise to take over the Societe Anonyme’s collection if it were moved to the Yale Art Gallery. Dreier agreed, and she began sending the collection to Yale in October 1941. In 1942, Dreier was still adamant about her desire to open the Country Museum and to use her private collection as its basis. She continued her attempts to convince Yale to fund her project, but when Yale gave a final negative answer in April, Dreier decided to sell the Haven. In April 1946, she moved to a new home, Laurel Manor, in Milford, Connecticut. She continued to add artwork to the Societe Anonyme collection at Yale, through purchases and through gifts from artists and friends. In 1947, she attempted to reopen membership to the Societe Anonyme and printed a brochure, but Yale blocked distribution of the brochure because of the ambiguous connection between Yale and the membership campaign. In 1948, Dreier and Duchamp decided to limit the activities of the Societe to working on a catalog of the collection and to acquiring artwork. On the thirtieth anniversary of the Societe Anonyme’s first exhibition, 30 April 1950, Dreier and Duchamp hosted a dinner at the New Haven Lawn Club, where they formally dissolved the Societe Anonyme. In June, a catalog of the Societe’s collection at Yale, Collection of the Societe Anonyme: Museum of Modern Art 1920, was published. Dreier died on 29 March 1952.