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Lot Essay
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art
“Les Masques” 2008 Edition, Second set of 4 Masks
Mexico, Japan, Gabon and Papua New Guinea
The remarkable sets of ‘Tribal Masks’ by Vacheron Constantin bring together art, culture and the finest watchmaking like never before. Reproduced from life-size masks housed in Geneva’s famous Barbier- Muller Museum, the first four watches of this exceptional series of Metiers d’Art timepieces were made in 2007 featuring masks from China, Alaska, the Congo and Indonesia. This second set of the series made in 2008, features four different masks, this time from Japan, Mexico, Papa-New-Guinea, and the Gabon Kwélé people.
These highly exclusive horological works of art, mesmerizing in their beauty and breathtaking in their level of traditional craftsmanship embody primitive aesthetics at their finest. As a highlight of the ‘Champion Collection’, this wonderful complete set of Métiers d’art Tribal Masks has been preserved in exceptional condition and is offered complete with the full set of accessories.
Celebrating their 250th anniversary in 2005, Vacheron Constantin decided to explore the idea of creating a series of culturally significant wristwatches. The theme of tribal masks was inspired by the Geneva based Barbier-Mueller Museum, the worlds finest museum of primitive art, who were approached in order to form a close collaboration with the company to bring these works of art from diverse cultures to a wider audience. In 2007, an incredible series of watches featuring tribal masks called ‘Métiers d’art les Masques’ was announced. These extraordinary watches were presented in boxed sets of four, each watch featuring a different mask from one of the four continents, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania. The project was completed with the inclusion of verses by the French poet Michel Butor done in a spiral of gold letters on the sapphire crystal dials that give voice to the masks when the light strikes at certain angles. In order to give the mask full prominence, the time and date functions are ingeniously displayed discreetly by rotating discs in four windows.
The Masks
The sapphire crystal dial is applied with the amazingly lifelike micro sculpture mask hand made in 18K gold which has been engraved and coloured to faithfully reproduce the antique mask as closely as possible.
In many primitive cultures, masks have a double function as both aesthetic and ritual objects. Some are believed to allow communication with the spirits of ancestors or to be the physical manifestation of ancient rituals. Respecting the importance and cultural significance of these masks to their respective peoples, Vacheron Constantin’s craftsmen took great care not to distort their original character and identity. Using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technologies, the poetic sensibilities of the masks is accurately captured with subtle contrasts accentuating the delicacy of the finishing.
The watches in the present set are named as follows:
Yellow gold watch with Mask of Japan - This classic ancient Japanese ritual mask is one that is commonly seen in various forms of Japanese art and Western art when representing Japanese culture.
Pink gold watch with Mask of Mexico - Ancient peoples in this country always crafted beautiful masks for different purposes. This particular Mayan mask is thought to be a sort of portrait of a real person created as a piece of art.
White gold watch with Mask of Gabon - The Gabon Kwélé people are an African tribal people. This mask was one of a series for a boy used in ceremonies throughout his life.
Platinum watch with Mask of Papua New Guinea – This ceremonial mask is thought to represent an animal or insect for use in tribal rituals.
This superlative ‘Tribal Masks’ set with reassuring and unimpeachable Champion Collection provenance is likely to be the only example of this treasure of Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers D’Art craftsmanship to be offered at auction for the foreseeable future and represents an unmissable opportunity for both watch and art collectors.
“Les Masques” 2008 Edition, Second set of 4 Masks
Mexico, Japan, Gabon and Papua New Guinea
The remarkable sets of ‘Tribal Masks’ by Vacheron Constantin bring together art, culture and the finest watchmaking like never before. Reproduced from life-size masks housed in Geneva’s famous Barbier- Muller Museum, the first four watches of this exceptional series of Metiers d’Art timepieces were made in 2007 featuring masks from China, Alaska, the Congo and Indonesia. This second set of the series made in 2008, features four different masks, this time from Japan, Mexico, Papa-New-Guinea, and the Gabon Kwélé people.
These highly exclusive horological works of art, mesmerizing in their beauty and breathtaking in their level of traditional craftsmanship embody primitive aesthetics at their finest. As a highlight of the ‘Champion Collection’, this wonderful complete set of Métiers d’art Tribal Masks has been preserved in exceptional condition and is offered complete with the full set of accessories.
Celebrating their 250th anniversary in 2005, Vacheron Constantin decided to explore the idea of creating a series of culturally significant wristwatches. The theme of tribal masks was inspired by the Geneva based Barbier-Mueller Museum, the worlds finest museum of primitive art, who were approached in order to form a close collaboration with the company to bring these works of art from diverse cultures to a wider audience. In 2007, an incredible series of watches featuring tribal masks called ‘Métiers d’art les Masques’ was announced. These extraordinary watches were presented in boxed sets of four, each watch featuring a different mask from one of the four continents, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania. The project was completed with the inclusion of verses by the French poet Michel Butor done in a spiral of gold letters on the sapphire crystal dials that give voice to the masks when the light strikes at certain angles. In order to give the mask full prominence, the time and date functions are ingeniously displayed discreetly by rotating discs in four windows.
The Masks
The sapphire crystal dial is applied with the amazingly lifelike micro sculpture mask hand made in 18K gold which has been engraved and coloured to faithfully reproduce the antique mask as closely as possible.
In many primitive cultures, masks have a double function as both aesthetic and ritual objects. Some are believed to allow communication with the spirits of ancestors or to be the physical manifestation of ancient rituals. Respecting the importance and cultural significance of these masks to their respective peoples, Vacheron Constantin’s craftsmen took great care not to distort their original character and identity. Using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technologies, the poetic sensibilities of the masks is accurately captured with subtle contrasts accentuating the delicacy of the finishing.
The watches in the present set are named as follows:
Yellow gold watch with Mask of Japan - This classic ancient Japanese ritual mask is one that is commonly seen in various forms of Japanese art and Western art when representing Japanese culture.
Pink gold watch with Mask of Mexico - Ancient peoples in this country always crafted beautiful masks for different purposes. This particular Mayan mask is thought to be a sort of portrait of a real person created as a piece of art.
White gold watch with Mask of Gabon - The Gabon Kwélé people are an African tribal people. This mask was one of a series for a boy used in ceremonies throughout his life.
Platinum watch with Mask of Papua New Guinea – This ceremonial mask is thought to represent an animal or insect for use in tribal rituals.
This superlative ‘Tribal Masks’ set with reassuring and unimpeachable Champion Collection provenance is likely to be the only example of this treasure of Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers D’Art craftsmanship to be offered at auction for the foreseeable future and represents an unmissable opportunity for both watch and art collectors.