Valkyrie tiara by Cartier for Mary Crewe-Milnes, Duchess of Roxburghe, 1935Inspired by the winged he

Valkyrie tiara by Cartier for Mary Crewe-Milnes, Duchess of Roxburghe, 1935Inspired by the winged helmets worn by the heroines of Wagner’s opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, the tiara is the last of its type ever made by Cartier.The piece, known as a Valkyrie tiara after the eponymous figures from Norse mythology, comprises more than 2,500 cushion-shaped, single-cut, circular-cut and rose-cut diamonds, set in a gold and silver frame.The pair of ‘en tremblant’ wings was constructed using wire-coiled springs so that they move slightly when worn. The wings can also be detached and worn separately as brooches.The fashion for Valkyrie tiaras originated on the stage before being rapidly adopted by fashionable aristocrats at the start of the 20th century.A notable early example — a winged tiara centring on a 33-carat diamond made by Cartier in 1909 for the wife of American banker JP Morgan — was credited with helping to fuel the craze across the Atlantic.By the 1930s the influence of Art Deco had taken hold in the decorative arts and ornate winged headwear was no longer in demand. By 1935 requesting such a dramatic item of jewellery would have been considered very unusual.The Duchess’s fondness for the style was sparked by seeing winged tiaras worn at balls and parties as a child, prompting her to approach Cartier more than a decade later to produce one last grand homage to the bygone fashion.(source) -- source link

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