Linzeler Marchak

Lot 111
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Estimation :
40000 - 60000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 317 500EUR
Linzeler Marchak
"The Koi Carp". Art Deco clock in the Chinese style. Circa 1925. Onyx, coral, mother-of-pearl, black enamel, jade and diamond clock. Octagonal case resting on a rectangular base, the intermediate part with a plate representing the Koi carp. Dial with Chinese numerals for the indication of hours, several mother-of-pearl plates representing the Koi carp in its pond with reeds, stylized hands in the form of Chinese temple, circumference with wave effects, mother-of-pearl dial signed "VM" to be compared with the achievements of Vladimir Makovsky. Mechanical hand-wound movement signed "Vacheron Constantin, Astral, 386 595". Master stamp of the master jeweler "Verger Frères". Dealer's signature on the winding crown "Linzeler Marchak". Case and back no. 9495. Height : 14 cm Width : 10 cm Depth: 5 cm For this lot, the S.C. E. & S. PORTIER is assisted by Ader Watches, expert SFEP, 10, Place Vendôme, 75001 PARIS. This piece, preserved by the descendants of the original owner, shows great beauty both aesthetically and technically. It combines the talents of several master jewelers and a renowned watchmaker, each of whom contributed to the creation of this Art Deco period clock. It bears the Linzeler Marchak signature which testifies to a golden age of high jewelry with unique achievements in terms of watchmaking execution, such as the casing of this beautifully crafted movement signed Vacheron Constantin whose numbering corresponds to the year 1918. Linzeler Marchak was born of a partnership between the Parisian jeweler Robert Linzeler and the Russian jeweler Alexander Marchak, from 1922. The latter was the son of Joseph Marchak, known as "Cartier of Kiev" who arrived in Paris in 1918, fleeing the October Revolution in Russia. All the pieces of high jewelry like ours were made for their sign located at 4, rue de la Paix in Paris. Their creations are distinguished by the participation of the best master craftsmen such as Vladimir Makovsky who made superb mother-of-pearl inlays. These richly elaborated clocks show a typically Art Deco aesthetic and a unique know-how on the work of the mother-of-pearl dial signed by Vladimir Makovsky, which distinguishes our example because most of the dials are unsigned. Rare are the mother-of-pearl dials of this style that bear his signature, with the use of his two initials "VM". One finds through these multicolored dials a very particular effect of several tinted mother-of-pearl. Vladimir Makosky's work frequently referred to exotic lands and distant adventures after a lifetime of travel. These "exotic" scenes like ours were also commissioned by other great houses like Van Cleef & Arpels or Cartier. If we often find the parrot or the monkey in his decorations of colored mother-of-pearl plates, the use of the Koi carp in our example is of particular importance because it testifies to the influence of the Far East in the Art Deco period. The Koi carp has a very important symbolism in Asia and more particularly in Japan, because it is the symbol of strength and perseverance, but also in China, because the legend says that, after going up the river, the carp turns into a dragon. This symbolism used on this clock would therefore be related to Chinese mythology which at the time had become a great source of inspiration for many Parisian jewelers such as Van Cleef & Arpels or Cartier. For similar pieces, some models from this period can be found in the book Secrets de Vacheron Constantin, Franco Cologni, see also the National Museum of Singapore exhibition, Treasures of Vacheron Constantin: A legacy of watchmaking since 1755.
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