Adam's FINE JEWELLERY & WATCHES 16 May 2023

T uesday 16 th M ay 2023 . S tarting at 4 pm 46 60 A RUBY AND DIAMOND ‘NOVELY’ BROOCH, BY G. NARDI, CIRCA 1955 The textured gold body embellished with circular-cut rubies for scales and tail to a brilliant-cut diamond eye and bubble, the reverse with pierced scrolling detailing, mounted in 18K gold (pin in 14K gold), signed G. Nardi, with maker’s case, length 5.4cm € 1,000 - 1,500 Giulio Nardi , originally from Florence, began his eponymous jewellery business in the early 1920’s in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Capturing the jazz age buzz in the Italian city, caused mainly by American mu- sicians and writers moving to or holidaying in Venice, Nardi was one of the first busi- ness owners to see the potential of Venice as an epicentre of luxury goods. Venice, or La Serenissima, was a constant source of in- spiration for Nardi who captured the cities glistening water, intricate architecture, and artistic culture in jewel form. Nardi is a name associated with the artisanal. All Nardi jewellery is made in the upstairs atelier of the store which spans five arches of the iconic piazza. It is estimated that since 1940 less than 10,000 pieces of jewellery have been created, allowing the brand to maintain an air of exclusivity and grandeur. Nardi is also a name enshrouded in an at- mosphere of glamour and finery. With the publication of a book by historian Nicholas Foulkes detailing the businesses history and its fine pieces, Nardi for many now brings to mind decadent masked balls and bacchana- lian Italian travel. It was not uncommon in the 1960s and 1970s for Hollywood stars to make a pilgrimage to Gioielleria Nardi while in the city for the Venice Film Festival. As a result, actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood would wear pieces by Nardi at home in the USA as a signifier of height- ened taste and access to the European luxury world. The brand is perhaps best known for their Morettos, onyx or ebony bejewelled visages inspired by Shakespeare’s Moor of Venice in Othello. However, there is much more on offer and the company, now run by Giulio’s grandson Alberto Nardi, ensures to centre Venetian imagery such as masks and lions in their works. Lot 60 is a perfect example of this as the fish is evocative of Venice’s fa- mous shape as an island which is often lik- ened to a fish, a shape that allowed the island to stay protected from invasion and grow in strength for over 1,400 years. A piece of jewellery by Nardi as well as being beautiful encapsulates and evokes a sense of place, allure, elegance, and drama.