Louis Osman: The Jenkins Family Collection

A 22ct gold azurite crystal and sapphire necklace by Louis Osman, 1982, the articulated necklace with detachable central pendant drop, composed of graduated azurite crystals in irregular gold closed back settings, the principal links each supporting a central rectangular step-cut sapphire with irregular gold panel links between, to a panel link collar back chain, highlighted with further small azurite crystals, hallmarked for London 1982, with maker’s mark ‘LO’, in original fitted case, necklace length approximately 34cm. £20,000-£30,000


Please note ARR will apply to this lot (Artist’s Resale Rights).

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Louis Osman: The Jenkins Family Collection.

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Collection

The sapphires in this suite were acquired by Maurice Jenkins from the Perth jewellers Mazzucchelli’s over regular trips to Australia during the 1970s. Louis and Mrs Jenkins began discussing the commission of this necklace in July 1976; however, amongst other various explanations given for the delays, this period coincided with the Osman family leaving Canons Ashby and struggling to find the right premises to which to relocate their household and workshops. In the event, the necklace was eventually finished in 1982. In one of a number of letters to Dorothy Jenkins, Louis apologised for the ongoing delays:
“Necklace progresses but is taking far longer than I had thought with a hell of a waste of time travelling to & fro : but it WILL be worth it as ‘Treasures of the Jenkins’ instead of ‘Treasure of the Gonzagas!’. Leonardo da Vinci was also two years late for them but then they were blowing each other up at the time!”
Once the necklace was completed, in a subsequent letter to Mrs Jenkins, Louis shared that “I consider it one of the best things, artistically, that I’ve ever done & this view is shared by the aged 35 artist/jeweller that I have working for me, & who worked on it with me. He says its [sic] the only jewel that has ever given him the ‘whoomph feeling in the pit of his stomach : like some rare pieces of music do’, which is nice. I regard azurite as quite the equal to any diamond or Ruby youd [sic] see at Buckingham Palace...”


Exhibited:
Louis Osman Jewellery Exhibition, by The British Council of Arts, in Lisbon, 14 November - 11 December 1990. The reverse of the bespoke case bears a sticker for this exhibition. Paperwork related to this exhibition, including details of this piece can be viewed at the Tate Archive, London (ref: TGA 200317/4/12).


An original pen and watercolour design for this suite was sold as part of The Personal Archive of Louis Osman at Noonans on 27 March 2018 (lot 288).



This lot is accompanied by photocopies of paperwork and press cuttings, and an original leaflet relating to the Louis Osman Jewellery, Lisbon exhibition, and photocopies of paperwork relating to the exhibition In Celebration of Gold and Silver.


This lot is also accompanied by further related correspondence.