$6,463
Artist-Designed Sterling Silver, Fire Opal, and Onyx Brooch, Sam Kramer, c. 1950, the anthropomorphic form bezel-set with a fire opal cabochon and shaped onyx tablet, 4 x 1 3/4 in., maker's mark. Note: Now considered the most important post-war Modernist jeweler, Kramer was a Surrealist artist who worked in the biomorphic style. Among the first of the Greenwich Village studio jewelers (est. 1940), Kramer advertised his work as "Fantastic Jewelry for People Who are Slightly Mad". A self-described rockhound, Kramer studied gemology and developed a fondness for precious stones as well as exotic materials, from Burmese rubies to glass eyes. Kramer's work emphasizes the hand of the artist and metal's natural potential for fluidity and spontaneity.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2006-09-19
