A PAIR OF ENAMEL AND DIAMOND EARCLIPS, BY DAVID WEBB Of octagonal bombé design, decorated with black enamel between brilliant-cut diamond shoulders, mounted in 18K gold and platinum, diamonds approximately 2.50cts total, signed Webb, length 3.5cm David Webb founded his eponymous fine jewellery line in Manhattan on July 28th 1948, at just twenty-three. His creations have come to embody the emboldened post-war era, exuding extravagance and excess which was hitherto disparaged. Webb stands amongst few who in the 20th century lay claim to an aesthetic style which was wholly their own. Webb's design were uninhibited, audacious and mesmerising, fast attracting throngs of American royalty to his 2 West 46th Street address, quickly becoming New Yorks best-known secret. Donned by Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Estee Lauder, Webb jewellery has presence and demand notice, designed for those with presence in the vast city. Little is known of Webb's early life, though few from his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, could foresee his meteoric rise to fame just a few short years following his move to New York. Webb got his start in Asheville as an apprentice to his uncle, a silversmith, before landing a job in the Diamond District of New York at the age of seventeen. The independence he exhibited to move to New York at this ripe age only serves to demonstrate Webb's individuated approach to all aspects of design. He completed all of his design work himself, from the conceptualisation of his pieces in pencil sketches in an unmistakably Webb fashion, through to their complete fruition. A fascination with colour is at the core of all Webb's work, though ultimately this is dictated by his deep respect for form and materials. Webb's command of geometry gave him the liberty to create without compromise, likening him to an architect as well as artist. It is this duality of material and form which caught the attention of Jacqueline Kennedy, who selected Webb to complete seven designs for the Kennedy gifts of state which honoured minerals native the United States. All of these were accepted by Kennedy, prompting a lasting collaborative work relationship between the pair, with Kennedy herself comparing Webb's ingenuity of design to that of Cellini. In the 1970s, venerable houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels turned to a resurgence of the art deco style. Conversely, in Webb's typical self-instructed style, he drew influence from innumerable cultures spanning across many periods, holding no reservations in his choosing. This was the penultimate result of Webb's studies of artefacts, utilising the extensive resources which New York city had to offer. He famously found himself on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art weekly, preoccupying his mind with bygone ancient cultures, from the Greco-Romans to the Byzantines. Artefacts from all corners of the world were re-envisaged by Webb. A Minoan bull would become a gold belt buckle and Greek penannular bracelets became the models for Webb's signature gold animal bracelets. He thrust jewellery further away from the abstract, embracing figurative forms and volume like no other. His exuberant animal creations take their place amidst a lineage of figurative animal art, successors of everything from Cartier's 1940s big cat jewels to the legacy of the preserved talismanic mythological creatures he found at the Metropolitan Museum. It is for this breadth of influence, his stark individuality and boldness of design that brands Webb the Quintessential American jeweller.

Earclips for non pierced ears Diamonds: bright and lively Normal signs of wear, overall in good condition Total gross weight approx. 55g