Art Deco Jewelry: Jakob Bengel, Idar-Oberstein/Germany - Hardcover

A geometric formal idiom reminiscent of Cubism and the aesthetic of the machine, coloured plastic and chrome are synonymous with art deco costume jewellery, which was widespread throughout the 1920s and 1930s Europe. Hitherto classified by specialists in the field as "French Jewellery", these objects were in fact created in the Chain and Jewellery factory founded in 1873 by Jakob Bengel in Idar-Oberstein. This has been shown by the most recent research, which is presented in this text in full. The Bengel production form 1928 until 1936 is distinguished by extraordinary innovation and distinctive individuality surpassing anything comparable from other contemporaneous makers. Jakob Bengel, who was Ernst Hartenberger's son-in-law, also possesses the business acumen to market and distribute his wares worldwide. More than 250 pieces of jewellery are shown and described in the present book. Moreover, this monograph is an in-depth study of the subject, drawing extensively on the Bengel pattern books from 1924 to 1936.