Jean Fouquet (1899-1994) was at the center of the Modernist movement in Paris at the time of the 1925 Exposition. When he joined his father Georges Fouquet at the family firm, he became a leading jewelry designer and critic in the Art Deco movement. In his 1931 book Jewelry and Gold, he wrote that "jewelry and gold pieces must be works of art while also responding to the same needs as industrial objects."
This set of ebony and chrome jewlery exemplifies the African-inspired designs of the late Art Deco movement. Ebony and disks are common motifs in African jewelry, but the shiny chrome is a novel medium. The bracelet's design was inspired by the 1920s socialite Nancy Cunard, whose trademark was an armful of wide African-inspired bangles.