Lot 484
Lapis Cameo/24 Karat Gold Bracelet of Neo-Classical Design, c. 18th century. Bracelet is 6" long and consists of five lapis cameos of five Roman gods and goddesses. Originally the bracelet was a necklace with ten lapis cameos of Roman gods and goddesses. Around 1960, in Paris, Baron Xavier Decallatay (1932-1994) purchased half of the necklace as a bracelet for $12,000 and gave it to his wife, Baroness Alexandra Monett-Decallatay, as a gift. The Decallatay family owned a diamond mine in the Congo at the time. Members of the family were coin collectors and authored some books on coins. Xavier Decallatay was a well-known and internationally exhibited artist. Having lived for many years in New Orleans, he was the first artist to paint the Preservation Hall jazz musicians. Many of his prominent works are on display at Generations Hall in New Orleans. After having resided in Europe, where the Baroness was an art dealer, the couple lived on Block Island (Rhode Island). It was at this time that the artist Xavier was commissioned by the DuPont family to paint portraits of 28 family members. In addition to private collections, his paintings can be found in the collections of Tulane University, the Union League Club of New York City, the Chester Dale Collection in Washington, D.C., and the Palais de la Nation in Brussels.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 9,000.
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