Driehoekige broche 'Inktvis' van zilver en bloedkoraal c. 1935 - 1936

This triangular brooch, 'Inktvis', was crafted from silver and blood coral by Firma Gaillard. The coral, a warm dot of color, is set against the cool, hammered silver; it’s like a tiny sun rising in a metallic sea. I’m really drawn to the texture in this piece. The surface of the silver has been worked to mimic the rippling surface of water, or maybe the skin of a sea creature. Look closely and you can see the tiny, irregular lines and indentations, each a little mark of the maker's hand. These linear marks radiate outwards from the center, giving the form a sense of movement and organic growth. The eye is drawn to the contrasting textures and tones of the materials, silver and coral, hard and soft, cool and warm. It reminds me a little of the work of Alexander Calder, maybe because of the way he used simple materials to create dynamic forms. Like Calder, Gaillard seems to embrace the beauty of imperfection, allowing the marks of the making process to become an integral part of the work.