GEORGES BRAQUE: LIMITED EDITION 'MéSOPATAMIA' NECKLACE, 1963 Designed as a series of textured hoops, connected via pairs of textured baton links, signed Héger de Lowenfeld and Bijoux de Braque, titled 'Mesopatamia', numbered R3/75 and LP 0672, rubbed maker's marks, length 56.5cm 注脚 Provenance:The jeweller, H. Martin, from 30th December 1975;Patrick Dayen and Jacques Lenormand, July 1981;The Hon. Mrs Dorothy Rose Burns, née Duveen (1903-1985);Phillips, Important Jewellery, 31st March 1987, lot 12Literature:Exhibition catalogue, 'Les Bijoux de Braque réalisés par Héger de Loewenfeld' (accompanied with this lot), ill.figs 1, 2 and 4 on page 16; listed as 'R142' on page 28.Accompanied by letters from Evelyne Possémé at the Musée Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, dated 30th July 1987 and Héger de Loewenfeld, dated 19th May 1988. In 1961, at the age of 79, Georges Braque (1882-1963) began working with Baron Héger de Loewenfeld on a collection of gold jewels derived from his graphic works and lithographs. Each piece was named after a figure from Greek mythology.Few artists have translated their work into jewellery and Georges Braque was one of a select number to do this successfully. While Héger de Loewenfeld was better known as a lapidary than a goldsmith, the pair enjoyed a fruitful working relationship and Braque once referred to him as, "the extension of my hands".In March 1963, the jewellery resulting from this collaboration was revealed to the public in an exhibition titled, "Bijoux de Braque," at the Marsan Pavilion of the Louvre in Paris. More than 50,000 people attended and the French state purchased eleven pieces of his jewellery.Héger de Loewenfeld also states, "...this piece was estimated in July 1981 by auctioneers, Messrs Patrick Dayen and Jacques Lenormand, as being worth 60,000 Francs at the wholesale price excluding taxes (or export price) or, to date, around 100,000 Francs".During a sixty year period, 'Dolly' Burns frequently entertained an eclectic mix of academics, intellectuals, politicians and writers at her homes in Ascot, Mayfair and Jamaica. Her dinner parties were meticulously well planned and conversation was never allowed to stray into superficiality or idle gossip. Despite her wealth and status, Burns embraced socialist principles and took a dim view of those who squandered or misused their assets. Her portrait by Augustus John in the National Portrait Gallery, reproduced here, shows a confident and fashionable society hostess in her prime.From an early age, Burns was exposed to the art world in London, which would shape her future as a society figure. Her father was the legendary art dealer, Baron Joseph Duveen of Milbank. Her grandfather was Sir Joseph Duveen, who, together with his brother, Henry, founded one of the world's first international art businesses, Duveen Brothers. He later became a significant benefactor and built the Turner and Sargent wings at Tate Britain. Dorothy Burns survived her second husband - the orthop?dic surgeon, Bryan Hartop Burns - by just five months. After her death in 1985, Phillips auctioned a selection of her jewels, which included twelve pieces by Boucheron together with this necklace by Georges Braque, reflecting her taste and appreciation for expert craftsmanship and artist jewellery.