Salvador Dalí­­ Tristan and Isolde Brooch

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18k gold brooch with the profiles of Tristan and Isolde on either side of a brilliant-cut diamond chalice with buff-cut garnet love potion.

Signed Dalí­. Made by Alemany & Ertman, New York, ca. 1950.
Diameter: 1-3/4 in.

Like with his paintings, Dalí­  applied his surrealist symbolism to his jewels, drawing inspiration from nature, religion, and mythology. The 12th century legend of Tristan and Isolde is a subject Dalí­ returned to frequently, reinterpreting it in a variety of media, including sets and costumes for the ballet Mad Tristan, the print Le Philtre D’amour, and of course, jewelry. The Tristan and Isolde brooch features the gold star-crossed lovers facing a garnet and diamond chalice. This chalice refers not only to the story itself (a love potion contributes to their ill-fated romance), but also, according to Dalí­­, to “the effluence of love possible between a man and a woman.”

$58,000