A rare and finely executed Art Nouveau stickpin in 14ct gold, c.1910, depicting an Egyptian empress in hand-applied enamel and set with three rubies. Egyptian imagery had fascinated European decorative artists since Napoleon's Egyptian campaign of 1798 and the subsequent publication of the Description de l'Égypte, and by the early 20th century the Egyptian Revival had become a well-established strand within the broader Art Nouveau movement — predating by more than a decade the Tutankhamun-driven craze of the 1920s. The hand-enamelling here is accomplished and detailed, the empress rendered with the fluid, expressive quality that distinguishes the finest enamel work of the period. The three rubies add warmth and colour to the composition. Hallmarked 14K. Head 1.4 × 1.1cm; pin length 5.8cm.

The Details

• Circa: 1910
• Head dimensions: 1.4 × 1.1cm
• Pin length: 5.8cm
• Hallmarks: 14K
• Stones: Three rubies
• Technique: Hand-applied enamel on 14ct gold