Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu

A Britannia silver and gold mounted zodiac pendant necklace by Louis Osman, 1972, the oval domed textured pendant applied with a central gold wave motif for the zodiac sign ‘Aquarius’, with five musical notes below and raised dots above, to a necklace composed of 11 further oval panel links each applied with a zodiac symbol, with square section baton links between, hallmark for Britannia silver, London 1972, with maker’s mark ‘LO’, necklace length 80cm. £1,200-£1,500




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

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

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This necklace was commissioned in 1973 by Mr and Mrs Jenkins for their son Toby’s 18th birthday the following year. (The Assay Office appears to have still been using the 1972 hallmark at the beginning of 1973).
Aquarius is the eleventh astrological sign in the zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius, the ‘Water Bearer’. The Sun is in the Aquarius sign between approximately 20 January and 18 February.
In Greek mythology a beautiful Phrygian youth, Ganymede, the son of Tros, king of Troy, was tending to his father's flocks on Mount Ida. Ganymede was spotted by Zeus, the king of gods, who fell in love with him and flew down to the mountain in the form of a large bird and whisked Ganymede away to Mount Olympus, where he thereafter served as cup/water bearer to the gods, and gave his name to the constellation.


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 287).



Exhibited:
The Observer Jewellery Exhibition, organised by the Welsh Arts Council, 1973, exhibition catalogue number 375.
Osman: An exhibition of the Works of Louis Osman, at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, 18 & 19 May 1974, exhibition catalogue no. 125.
A copy of the above 1974 exhibition catalogue and of J. Moore’s biography accompany this lot together with further related correspondence.

Gross weight 127.5gm.

This associated paperwork accompanying this lot comprises:
An original hand written valuation by Louis Osman, dated 25 July 1973.
A copy of a hand written letter proposing the loan of the aquarius necklace for the Welsh Arts Council exhibition, dated 13 August 1973.
Copies of the relevant pages of the Welsh Arts Council exhibition catalogue, 1973.
A copy of an invitation to the Osman exhibition, at Canons Ashby, with hand written note verso, referring to ‘Toby’s necklet’, dated 23 May 1974.
An original typed valuation, including the aquarius necklace, dated 15 December 1976.
A copy of a hand written valuation, including the aquarius necklace, dated 26 April 1978.