- Highly important c.13th century Song / Yuan Dynasty piece from Elsa Peretti’s collection offered on behalf of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation
Paris – A highly important c.13th-century Ge Mallow-Shaped Brush Washer belonging to the celebrated jewellery designer Elsa Peretti (1940-2021) will star in Profound Beauty: The Elsa Peretti Brush Washer, a single-lot sale at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris on 11 June 2025. It is offered with an estimate of €1.2-1.5m.
The rare brush washer will be on view at Bonhams in New York from 12-17 March 2025, followed by previews in Hong Kong in April and Paris from 6-10 June.
Asaph Hyman, Bonhams Global Head of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, commented: “Elsa Peretti’s genius was the ability to distil forms and functions to design-perfection transcending time. Often she found inspiration in the natural world, and it is therefore no surprise that she was captivated by this sublime brush washer emulating the form of the mallow flower, seven centuries after it was made. Equally, the famous Ge glaze, one of the ‘Five Great Wares’ of the Song Dynasty, with its intricate ‘iron-wire and golden-thread’ effect, would have appealed to Elsa’s love of the craftsman’s transformation of the world’s disorder. Elsa Peretti’s unique eye and freethinking allowed her to engage with different world cultures, appreciating the best that each had to offer in craftmanship and creativity, with this brush washer amongst the most important pieces in her personal collection. We are greatly honoured to offer this important cultural piece on behalf of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation."
The brush washer was used for cleaning brushes during painting or calligraphy, and this example, with its blue-grey glaze and network of fine black-and-golden crackles, was acquired at auction by Peretti in 2005, and was a much-loved centrepiece of her personal collection housed in Sant Martí Vell, a medieval village in Catalonia. It was here from around 1969 onwards that Peretti had created her own retreat from a series of historic buildings and where she continued to work until her last day in 2021.
Elsa Peretti and the New York glitterati
Born in Florence in 1940, Elsa Peretti studied interior design in Rome before turning to fashion modelling. Peretti moved to New York City in 1968 and became an immediate success, working for designers such as Issey Miyake and Charles James. Peretti soon caught the eye of the fashion designer Halston – and became one of his muses, known as his Halstonettes. Halston commented at the time that “Elsa had style: she made the dress she was modelling her own". During the 1970s, Peretti was a regular at Studio 54 alongside the New York glitterati, including Truman Capote, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol and many others.
An Eye for Design
While modelling for Halston and Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, Peretti developed her talent for jewellery, designing collections by 1971. Her designs, crafted in silver, were simple, organic and sculptural, and rapidly gained attention. At the time, silver was perceived to be outdated, cheap and undesirable in jewellery, however Peretti’s creative touch earned the metal a coveted status once paired with her striking silhouettes, overhauling its image with timeless designs. One of her earliest jewellery designs was a necklace, where she transformed a small sterling silver bud vase – found at a flea market – into a pendant worn on a leather cord. It conveyed Peretti’s remarkable eye for beauty and design, and was a major hit. Between 1969 and 1974, Peretti won numerous awards.
In 1974, Peretti designed a range of silver jewellery for Tiffany, having been introduced by Halston and Carrie Donovan. It proved an incredible success, accounting for more than 10% of Tiffany’s annual sales, as well as elevating the status of silver in the eyes of both jewellers and clientele, notably with her Bone Cuff and Diamonds by the Yard designs. Her creative inspiration drew Peretti to Japan, China and Europe, where she studied the work of craftsmen, creating inspired designs and expanding into alternative materials including jade, lacquer, silk and bamboo. Elsa Peretti’s work remains highly coveted today, with her designs continuing to be amongst the most sold at Tiffany & Co. worldwide.
Elsa Peretti died in March 2021, yet the enduring beauty of Peretti’s work continues to dazzle. Her designs have been worn by Hollywood stars, including Isabella Rossellini, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Sophia Loren, Angelina Jolie, Margot Robbie, Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Tan Kheng Hua, Elaine Zhong Chuxi and Beyoncé, from the year they were created to present day.
Estimate: €1.2-1.5m, from the Personal Collection of Elsa Peretti
In addition to her pioneering contributions to jewellery, Elsa Peretti was an important collector of objects drawn from world cultures. She had particular reverence to Asian art and culture, and her collections included the exceptional Ge Mallow-Shaped Brush Washer from China’s Song/Yuan Dynasty.
The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation was set up in 2000 by Elsa Peretti in memory of her father. The Foundation was tasked with a broad scope of philanthropic missions including biodiversity, conservation, education, human rights, health, medical research, arts and culture. It is now also focused on preserving and disseminating Elsa Peretti’s legacy.
On 9 June 2025 at 6:30pm, Stefano Palumbo will lead a talk at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris titled, Elsa Peretti: Beyond Design. Palumbo was one of Elsa Peretti’s closest collaborators for more than 20 years and one of the Board Members of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation.
