- Lot 55

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Lot n° 55
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Estimation :
4000 - 6000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 10 880EUR
- Lot 55
MAISON CARTIER (ATTRIBUTED TO) Billiken, the sculpture model designed in [1908], the subject entered the Cartier collections from [1910-11], our print made in the 1920s Decorative subject. Proof in sculpted and polished agate. The base, representing the base of a monument, made of mauve jade. Art Deco period, circa 1920-25. Several fractures on the base. Height: 5,8 cm - Length: 6 cm - Depth: 4,6 cm Provenance : Identical to the previous lot. Bibliography and related works: Hans Nadelhoffer - Cartier - Éditions du Regard, Paris, 1984. A Billiken fixed on a small ivory perch and surmounting an agate ashtray, reproduced on the color plate on page 95, under the n° 73. Billiken and the House of Cartier Although often associated with the Far East, the Billiken was designed in 1908 by an American teacher, Florence Pretz. Nevertheless, this chubby little character quickly conquered the whole world. In 1912, it already adorned one of the entrances to Luna Park in Osaka. The first Billiken in hard stone appeared early in the works of the House of Cartier. Hans Nadelhoffer, an eminent specialist of the house, estimates that the first were produced as early as 1910. Supposed to bring good luck, the little figurines were cut from hard stone and their eyes were often encrusted with small diamonds. They adorned ashtrays, doorbells, and later "mystery clocks". The inventory of the honourable house of the 1st Marquess of Crewe mentions a Billiken in 1913 - presented for sale in London in 2015. It is even said that Queen Alexandra cherished hers... Despite this, Billiken and their decorative use by the House of Cartier remain enigmatic; the small number of statuettes made and their rarity on the art market, have not allowed for an in-depth study of the subject until now. Billiken, imagined and considered as the God of things as they should be, reminds us, by keeping many of his secrets at Cartier, that things are not always as we would like them to be.
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