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a black and white photo of a book with a picture of a necklacean open book with black and white pictures of stars on itan open book with a drawing of a tia on top of itan open book with many different types of jewelry on itan open book with a drawing of a bird on itan image of a picture of a star and a feather on a black backgroundan image of a picture of a brooch with a star on itan open book with black and white images of stars and snowflakes
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669 - Decorative Arts – Jewellery
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Estimate €2,400 - €3,600
Sale commission
Description
Decorative Arts – Jewellery and Emil Sommé, Paul Sommé, Emil and Paul. A collection of jewellery designs by the Royal Prussian Court Jewellers, the Sommé Brothers, Breslau, from the late Biedermeier period to Historicism. With 194 (a few folded) drawings in ink, watercolour, gouache and pencil, some highlighted in white and gold, on card, vellum and tissue paper, some on a black, dark red or golden-brown background. Breslau and Berlin, c. 1839–1895. Sizes approx. 6.5 x 4 cm to 22.5 x 10 cm. Some signed, dated and numbered, including ‘Emil. Sommé’ or ‘Paul Sommé’ with the note ‘Berlin 1882’. One sheet bears the seal of the Berlin Goldsmiths’ Guild. Contemporary red morocco binding with gilded inner edges, endpapers of marbled paper. Rainer Lemor, Rainer Sachs: Crescent Moon and Sun, Vol. 2: Jewellers, Goldsmiths and Silversmiths in Breslau 1888–1945. Kassel 2011. – Hintze, The Breslau Goldsmiths, 1906. – Cf. Christie’s, Important Jewellery, Sale 7286, Lot 112 (tiara in a case by Gebr. Sommé Nachf.) - An extremely rare and extensive collection showcasing the range of designs produced by the court jewellers and one of Silesia’s leading jewellery firms over almost five decades. The designs, executed with great finesse and rich in detail, begin with naturalistic floral brooches, some of which end in ‘en pampille’ with moving fringes. These are followed by Holbeinesque pendants and drop earrings with enamelled medallions, as well as diamond necklaces and rivières. The highlight is the collection of ceremonial tiaras: star-shaped tiaras with seven or three stars sit alongside tiaras featuring floral rosettes or a central cartouche. The wardrobe of the period also included nine variations of aigrettes, lyre brooches and pins, a large festoon-style bodice ornament serving as a ‘devant de corsage’, as well as monograms, bows and portrait brooches featuring cameos or miniatures. Celestial bodies form a distinct theme. Crescents, suns, stars and comets were among the favoured jewellery motifs of the late 19th century. The diamond dominates the gemstone setting. The pieces mainly feature old-cut stones, which stand out as larger solitaires at the centres of the stars and rosettes. The rays and tendrils are filled with small roses and single-cut diamonds. The tiaras also feature angular stones in cushion and square cuts, as well as freely suspended, teardrop-shaped pendants. The rivières consist of old-cut brilliant-cut diamonds, graded by size and set individually; one variation also features small rosettes comprising several stones. Coloured gemstones provide deliberate accents. For instance, a pendant features an oval sapphire – presumably a cabochon – set in a brilliant-cut frame above a pair of birds. The inner curve of the crescent-shaped aigrettes is set with a row of small sapphires, whilst monograms and an arrowhead are set with precisely cut rubies or garnets (calibré). At the centre of a neo-Baroque pendant is an emerald, presumably in a step cut, and a ring features a head made of turquoises in the shape of a forget-me-not flower. The Holbeinesque pendants are the most richly coloured: An oval red cabochon is combined with a colourless table-cut stone and enamel in blue, pink and white, with pearls hanging below as pendent loquets. Pearls also feature in crescent-shaped and quatrefoil brooches, as well as at the ends of fringes. The setting techniques, too, are reproduced very faithfully in the drawings. The design clearly envisages the silver-on-gold mounting customary at the time. The silver front makes the diamonds appear white, whilst the gold reverse ensures the piece’s stability. The large stones are set in chatons and prong settings, whilst the angular stones of the tiara are set in box settings. Rays and leaves are densely set in pavé. Many edges are finely dotted, indicating ‘millegriffes’ – that is, edges formed from tiny metal granules. It is noteworthy that this type of edge appears even before the platinum jewellery of the Belle Époque. Many parts are worked à jour, that is to say, openwork and translucent from behind. The rows of stones are depicted as filigree settings. For some flowering branches, a ‘en tremblant’ mounting on spiral springs is conceivable, whereby the flowers tremble when worn, even though the drawings alone do not provide evidence of this. The Neo-Renaissance pendants and monograms feature coloured enamel, presumably champlevé and enamel on a relief surface (en ronde bosse). The aigrettes have a mount for feathers. Some of the stars and bouquets were probably detachable and could be worn either as a tiara, a hair ornament or a brooch. The Sommé family originated from Sweden. Samuel Jacob Somme, born in 1768, was the son of a Swedish Inspector-General. With a pair of earrings featuring rosettes as his masterpiece, he became a master craftsman and citizen of Breslau in 1794. His sons carried on the trade. Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Robert, born in 1805, acquired citizenship in 1839. His younger brother, Carl Wilhelm Friedrich Julius, born in 1813, was initially a chemist before becoming a jeweller. He was a member of the guild from 1849 to 1873 and died in 1888. These two were the eponymous ‘Sommé brothers’ (Hintze, 161). The period covered by the album, from 1839 to around 1895, thus corresponds exactly to the time from Robert’s acquisition of citizenship to Julius’s death. Robert’s son Emil was born on 20 February 1835. He was a member of the guild from 1859 to 1893 and died on 24 June 1894. As early as 1872, he was publicly listed as ‘Court Jeweller in Breslau’. In 1875, the court records list him as the firm’s “merchant & jeweller”. Paul Sommé appears in the same records in 1894. From 1913 onwards, Max Grothe continued to run the business as “Sommé Brothers’ Successors”. As late as 1935, the firm still existed under Kurt Schimbke as court jeweller at 13 Breslau Town Hall. The firm was a purveyor to the Prussian royal court and also worked for the Silesian aristocracy. In 1892, Emil Sommé created the silver-mounted ceremonial setting with a monogram for the honorary address to Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg, Prince of Pless, and Princess Daisy. It was presented to the couple upon their move into Fürstenstein Castle and is now on loan from the National Museum in Wrocław to Ksiaz Castle. Around 1890–1900, heraldic silver bearing the Sommé mark was produced for the Counts of Saurma-Jeltsch (Leo Spik, Auction 698, Lot 750). Some pages have come loose from the binding. In good overall condition. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is charged on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints and Photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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