Pierre Sterlé
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Pierre Sterlé (1905–1978) was a French jeweller, known as the 'couturier of jewellery'. Considered during his lifetime to have been an inspired innovator, he reached his apogee in the 1940s and 50's. His work with precious stones and metal - often inspired by nature - still commands strong interest at auction.


Biography

Son of a family of bankers, Pierre Sterlé was born in 1905. After the death of his father during the First World War, he was sent to live with an uncle, a jeweler in Paris, who introduced him to the profession. In 1934, he started his own establishment. He enjoyed the support of many large jewellery houses, such as
Boucheron Boucheron () is a French luxury jewellery and watches house located in Paris, 26 Place Vendôme, owned by Kering. History At the origins The House of Boucheron is a French family dynasty founded by Frederic Boucheron in 1858, with the opening ...
,
Chaumet The House of Chaumet (), founded in 1780, is a jeweller based in Paris. Chaumet is a jewellery and watchmaking designer founded in 1780 by Marie-Étienne Nitot. Fourteen artisans ply their trade in the workshop on Place Vendôme under the dire ...
and Ostertag, for whom he was already designing jewellery. Notice « Pierre Sterle », Antiquarian Jewelers sur antiquarianjewelers.co
lire en ligne
(page consulted 19 march 2011)
In 1939, he premiered a range of jewellery specifically for individuals. The writer Colette, fascinated by his work, was one of his first clients. In 1943 he moved to larger premises at 43 avenue de l'Opera, close to
place Vendôme The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. It is ...
. Approaching the world of high fashion, he began a collaboration with designer
Jacques Fath Jacques Fath (6 September 1912 in Maisons-Laffitte, France – 13 November 1954 in Paris, France) was a French fashion designer who was considered one of the three dominant influences on postwar haute couture, the others being Christian Dior and ...
, beginning to consider himself as a couturier of jewellery to socialites. Jeweled Flight, ''Creator Pierre Sterle'',
1stdibs 1stdibs (stylized as 1stDibs) is an e-commerce company. It has an online marketplace, which sells luxury items such as high-end furniture for interior design, fine art and jewelry. The company has been recognized for "pushing the antiques business ...
sur 1stdibs.co
lire en ligne
(page consultée le 21 mars 2011)
The exclusive nature and originality of his style was worn by his fortunate clients, habitués of the houses of
Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...
,
Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to C ...
or
Jean Dessès Jean Dessès (6 August 1904 – 2 August 1970) was a world leading fashion designer in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. His designs reflected the influences of his travels, specializing in creating draped evening gowns in chiffon and mousseline, b ...
. Pierre Sterlé rapidly acquired both a clientele and international renown. In 1950, he received a visit from King Farouk of Egypt, who commissioned a crown for his wife, Queen Narriman. Notice « Sterle 1934-1976 », Symbolic & Chase sur symbolicchase.co
lire en ligne
(page consulted 19 march 2011)
Shortly afterwards, the Begum Aga Khan, the maharani of Baroda and other important jewellery buyers of the era became habitual buyers of his work. Jeweled Flight, ''Creator Pierre Sterle'', 1stDibs sur 1stdibs.co
lire en ligne
(page consultée le 21 mars 2011)
His reputation was cemented when he won the De Beers Diamond Award, a major achievement in the jewellery profession, and which he won for three consecutive years, in 1953, 1954 and 1955. It was in 1955 that Sterlé began to have his first financial difficulties. The launch of his two perfumes, Huit-huit and 2 Diam, the only ones he created, were a financial disaster. He had refused, as usual, to take into account the cost of manufacture, and as a result was forced to sell the product for below the cost price. To balance the books, he was required to separate his collection of paintings, and property north of Paris. In 1966 he was the first jeweller invited to the Antique Dealers Biennale. He presented a life-sized Temple of Love, supported by pearl-encrusted dolphins. An exposed glass pyramid showed, on trays of white coral, a collection of jewellery inspired by nature - birds, flowers, marine life, which caused a sensation. This success allowed him to open his first boutique, something which he had always refused to do. It would seem that he was right in this - despite coming from a family of financiers, Sterlé was a poor businessman, and the boutique quickly became a financial disaster. In 1976 he was required to liquidate the company, with all stock being purchased by Chaumet. During the final years of his life, he became a technical consultant at Chaumet.


Style

Easily recognisable, the style of Pierre Sterlé is characterised by its inspirational themes, artistic treatment and technical mastery. The recurring motifs in his work are derived from nature - birds, wings, feathers, animals and various types of flowers. His themes feature asymmetry and a type of baroque extravagance, contrasted with geometric forms and opulent arabesques, observed in the traditional jewellery of the era. This lightness of effect, which is accentuated by the blend - unusual for the time - of precious and semi-precious stones, and unusual materials such as shell. The technique used on the metal suggests dripping, freezing or etching, resulting in braided, twisted and flexible ropes of gold. Sterlé managed "to manipulate the metal like no other before him". One of his favorite pieces, the brooch, is one of the most popular forms of jewellery in the sixties. Sterlé actually created small pictures whose natural place was at the neck of a dress or suit, reinforcing the popularity he enjoyed among fashion designers and their clients. He also created minaudières and jewelry boxes. Thirty years after his death, the items created by him continue to have a strong following at auction, as shown in the catalogues of
Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
,
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
or Pierre Bergé.Notice, ''Lot 58'', catalogue Pierre Bergé & Associés, Bruxelles, vente du 10 décembre 200
lire en ligne
(page consultée le 21 mars 2011)


References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sterle, Pierre French jewellers 1905 births 1978 deaths