An Art Deco nephrite and gold Grande Sonnerie desk clock, by Cartier, Circa 1925

25 novembre 2019

An Art Deco nephrite and gold Grande Sonnerie desk clock, by Cartier, Circa 1925

Lot 145. An Art Deco nephrite and gold Grande Sonnerie desk clock, by Cartier, Circa 1925. Estimate £50,000 - £80,000. Courtesy Bonham's.

The rectangular nephrite case, with reeded gold rims, the dial with Roman numerals and black enamel shaped gold hands, the gold bezel with black enamel detail, on a nephrite plinth base, signed Cartier, case numbered 9356, movement numbered 2308, French assay mark, 18.2cm x 13.8cm x 11.5cm, fitted maker's travel case, with key numbered 2309.

Provenance: Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942), and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (1906-1968)

Sale: Christie's London, 20 November 2009, 'Property from the Collection of HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent KG, KT, and HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent CI, GCVO and their families', lot 86

Note: Prince George, Duke of Kent, was the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, and younger brother of King Edward VIII and King George VI.

He married Princess Marina of Denmark and Greece in 1934 and the couple became The Duke and Duchess of Kent. They were hugely popular with the British public and their home at 3 Belgrave Square, for which the Prince had designed the interior decoration, became a focal point for the pre-World War Two 'in crowd' in London.

Fascinated by the arts, Prince George was an accomplished pianist and spoke Italian and French. He was an exceptionally well dressed and handsome man who enjoyed adventure and preferred fast cars, skiing and sailing over more traditional country pursuits.

In August 1942 Prince George was killed when the RAF Short Sunderland flying boat he was in crashed on Eagle's Rock, near Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland. The plane was on its way to Iceland on non-operational duties: all but one of the 39 on board were killed.

Bonham's. London Jewels, December 4, 2019 2:00 PM GMT