RENE BOIVIN

Coming from a family of silversmiths and jewellers, René Boivin established himself in the 1890s, around the time he married Jeanne Poiret, sister of Paul Poiret. Together, they developed an original and modern style, creating some of the most daring jewellery of the early 20th century. The jewellery from the René Boivin House on which we shall focus our attention is that created from the 1920s onwards. Indeed, when René Boivin died prematurely in 1917, his wife and collaborator Jeanne Boivin boldly took over the management of the House. Her sensitivity and taste likely guided her when, in 1919, she hired a young designer named Suzanne Belperron, who had just graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts and had won first prize in the Arts Décoratifs competition. This collaboration enabled Maison Boivin to take off once more, a momentum that was renewed with the arrival of Juliette Moutart, who worked for Jeanne Boivin and her daughter Germaine for nearly 30 years. Their sources of inspiration were varied, ranging from shells and marine motifs for Jeanne Boivin to animal and floral motifs for Juliette Moutart, and fantastical or whimsical themes for Germaine Boivin. These collaborations between talented women enabled Maison René Boivin to offer highly innovative jewellery, unique pieces that proved a resounding success. The most frequently produced pieces were rings and bracelets. The materials used were also highly original, as they employed new materials in jewellery such as wood, crystal and agate… combined with precious or semi-precious stones… Many creations would go on to become legendary, such as the ‘tranche’ bracelet, the ‘barbare’ bracelet, the ‘quatre corps’ ring available in a range of colours, the often articulated ‘starfish’ brooches, and animal-themed pendants such as the ‘crab’, ‘sea lion’ or ‘Parisian sparrow’...