A unique work of art, "Dracontias", by Kevin Coates, 2005

The hand crafted dragon brooch set with a circular-cut citrine, weighing 97.42 carats, surmounted by a black mother-of-pearl moon eclipsing the sun together with a dinosaur tooth fossil, mounted as a picture on a rectangular slate painted with Dracontias lore, engraved and gilded foot prints, together with a complete dinosaur fossil Keichousaurus (Triassic - semi aquatic reptile 240 million years old) from Eastern China and fixing for the brooch, brooch size 80 x 47mm, slate size 255 x 190mm  Estimate: £15,000 - 18,000

Provenance: A special commission and part of the "Fragments" series.

Notes: The contemporary artist-goldsmith Kevin Coates (1950 -) has been much celebrated for his idiosyncratic and imaginative approach in the creation of his jewels, table pieces and sculptures. Works by him can be found in public and private collections worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and 10 Downing Street. Coates’ dramatic compositions often inspired by his musical background and a love for opera are executed with technical perfection. Coates describes this as his 'search for the music within the silence, the movement within the stillness'. He thus combines theatre and literature with mythology and science.

The recently published book on Coates 'Kevin Coates: A Hidden Alchemy', Stuttgart, 2008, examines his works and also the intellectual and spiritual sources of his inspirations. Coates' stature in the contemporary art world is highlighted by the art historian Sir Roy Strong, who writes the introduction for the book. Strong describes his fascination of Coates' work, its complexity and the importance of exhibiting and acquiring such works by contemporary artists for public collections. Strong himself owns a work created by Coates and through this he is able to experience a jewel which has both 'power and presence' and, as he describes, 'a life of its own'.

Kevin Coates is a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, a fellow of the Royal College of Art and has been appointed Associate Artist with the Wallace Collection in London.

Bonhams. Fine Jewellery, 4 Dec 2008.  New Bond Street www.bonhams.com Copyright © 2002-2008 Bonhams 1793 Ltd.,Images and Text All Rights Reserved