A must for those who love jewelry that has made history. Sotheby’s Paris (auction on December 17) offers a rare museum-quality collection of René Lalique pieces, all being auctioned for the first time. This is a collection curated by Claude H. Sorbac, a collector who passed away a few months ago. Lalique’s jewelry is a career photograph of the ingenious designer, who was a key figure of Art Nouveau. On sale are 39 pieces, including several works purchased by Lalique’s heirs.
Claude Henri Sorbac was part of a family of art lovers and grew up surrounded by a collection of paintings and precious objects, including great works by the likes of Renoir, Sisley, Degas and Tiepolo. He was forced to leave home during World War II, and at the age of 22 he enlisted in the Moroccan Spahi regiment and participated in the liberation of Paris. Then, he became an entrepreneur and, with greater financial means, a collector of antiques, including the works of Lalique, to which he dedicated several decades, traveling to flea markets and auctions alike to seek out the best of the best.
Avant-garde artist-designer, René Lalique has worked in everything from jewelry, goldsmithing and illustration to sculpture and glassware. The collection proposed by Sotheby’s highlights his pioneering use of innovative materials such as glass, aluminum, bronze and copper, mixed with other noble materials such as diamonds, precious gems and gold.
