by (unknown) Vietnamese jeweller(s)
Pair of silver and wicker floral-motif bracelets
circa 1909
In terms of creating a bracelet, it is an aesthetically clever (albeit difficult) stroke of design to combine, all in one, the elements of lucidity, obstinacy and elegance. Of the former, there lies in the two half-way joints of either of these bracelets a seamless ‘visual’ soldering of wood and metal. Without a true understanding of the different tensions and malleabilities inherent to such opposite natural materials, the four joints of this pair would not stand out to be as lucidly circular or as seemingly of the same ‘core’ as, perhaps, intended. The case is similar for the two following elements of design: the incised and curved columnar weaves of flowering foliage each add a balanced touch of both solidity and grace to the otherwise unassuming shape and characteristically fragile function of the bracelets. Nameless though the designer(s) behind the making of this pair may be, they deserve all the same a posthumous nod of approval from anyone with even the slightest appreciation and attentiveness towards quality jewellery design, despite whether these bracelets please any personal tastes.
