18kt Gold, Ruby, and Cultured Pearl Lips Brooch, Henryk Kaston, Designed by Dali

Description:

18kt Gold, Ruby, and Cultured Pearl Lips Brooch, Henryk Kaston, Designed by Dali, bead-set with approx. 212 ruby melee, enclosing ten white pearl teeth, 50 x 35 mm.

Note: Kaston, whose work has been exhibited at the Met, the Vatican, and the Smithsonian, is the only living jeweler to have worked with Dali. A person of many accomplishments, Kaston is also a sculptor, inventor, and violin bow maker. Dali said of this design: "Poets of the ages, of all lands, write of ruby lips and teeth of pearls. It remained for Dali to translate this poetic cliche into a true surrealistic object."

Exhibitions: This brooch was loaned by the consignor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for display.
Estimate $5,000-7,000

Ruby Lips
without evident issues.
signed Ruby Lips Dali/Kaston
the exhibition featured a group of items made by Kaston, a multi talented craftsman and artist who worked withDali who also made musical instruments (violin bows)- it was NOT a Dali exhibition at the Met

Additional information on Henryk Kaston:

The consignor of the Lips brooch has been friendly with Mr. Kaston for thirty years and was, in a modest way, a financial backer of the artist. In exchange for his support of the artist, the consignor received a piece of jewelry from time to time. He reports that, during Mr. Kaston's career as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, Kaston became acquainted with the mezzo-soprano Rise Stevens, who was in turn a friend of Dali. Kaston made jewels for Stevens, and when Dali admired them and asked Stevens who had made them for her, he discovered Kaston. Dali then suggested a collaboration where Dali would provide Kaston with designs to produce. The Ruby Lips, which Dali based on those of Marilyn Monroe, were produced in a limited quantity. The consignor believes that 8 to 10 were made, and that the last was produced approximately 16 years ago. This and other designs such as The Eye of Time were produced only "on demand" by the busy Mr. Kaston, who had many other talents and avocations that occupied his time. The only design produced in larger numbers was the Tristan and Isolde brooch, which was offered by the Metropolitan Opera's store, but also presumably not in enormous quantities.

Mr. Kaston was an emigree from Poland who spent some of the War years in Paris.

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