A LUXURIOUS EARLY 20TH CENTURY TIARA WAS INSPIRED BY THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAGAWA IN HOKUSAI
Art and jewellery go hand in hand. A few pieces are so valuable and intricate that they are regarded as masterpieces; the French Crown Jewels, kept in the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre, are a prime example. However, the French jewellery company Boucheron brought art and jewellery even closer together in the early 20th century by creating a tiara unlike any other by taking inspiration from one of the most well-known pictures in art history.
Master goldsmith Coulot created the Boucheron Wave Tiara in 1910. The design was influenced by Hokusai's well-known woodblock print The Great Wave Off Kanagawa and is thought to have been constructed on a delicate platinum frame. Coulot used successive crescents set with diamonds to mimic the breaking waves within the confines of the medium.
Larger diamonds are used to depict the top of each wave on the tiara, with smaller stones providing structure to each wave. The goldsmith chooses a dynamic style to evoke the strength of the ocean rather than a symmetrical design, as is the case with most tiaras. This was also accomplished by the careful setting method, which most likely made use of millegrain and tremblant techniques.
Smaller stones give each wave structure, while larger diamonds represent the top of each wave on the tiara. Rather than using a symmetrical design, as is the case with most tiaras, the goldsmith opts for a dynamic style to evoke the strength of the ocean. The meticulous setting technique, which most likely employed millegrain and tremblant techniques, also succeeded in this. In addition, there is a replica that gives us an idea of the original's appearance even though it is devoid of many of the original's details. It would be a thrilling moment for the jewellery and art worlds, should it ever materialise.