Did Gustav Manz Design the 18k Gold Cartier Elephant Ring Which Sold for $13,200 at Recent Skinner Auction?

18k Yellow Gold Mother and Child Elephant Brooch Pin by Cartier. Photo Source: 1stDibs. by Angela Magnotti Andrews A breathtaking 18k gold elephant ring by Cartier sold for $13,200 in an auction held at Skinner on March 12th. Its intricate design evokes images of Persian war elephants, bedecked in traditional jeweled howdah (carriages), bearing princes through the streets or packing war materials into the Sahara Desert. Its exquisite sculptured body and etched wrinkles, coupled with the perfectly placed platinum tusks, form an anatomically perfect elephant in miniature. A diamond-set ruby rests above a diamond-set blue sapphire, flanked on either side by vertical rows of three round diamonds. The pattern is repeated on the opposite side in imitation of a Persian-style saddle blanket. The crowning jewel, a carved emerald cabochon, serves as the actual howdah. The delicately floral carving upon the emerald cabochon indicates that this ring was likely made in the 1920s, when Cartier first began collecting and sometimes engraving emeralds from India. The masterful gold work and anatomical perfection indicate that it was likely designed by Gustav Manz, a man A.M. Veghte called (in 1952) "the finest carver of animal jewelry" in the early 20th century {2}. Gustav Manz is hardly a household name, though he was well known in New York's decorative arts scene at the turn of the 20th century. Born in 1865 in Germany, Herr Manz followed the usual course of instruction for metalsmiths and jewelers as a teenager, and then traveled to Paris in 1889 to view in person the greatest works of artisan jewelers at the Exposition Universelle. In the spectacular halls of the international exhibition, he would have seen with his own eyes the brilliant works of Art Nouveau masters, Rene Lalique and Paulding Farnham, who took wearable art to a whole new level following their principles of beautiful functionality. After seeing these works in person, he stayed on in Paris to soak up all he could in the ateliers of jewelers and goldsmiths. He later did the same in England and then departed for South Africa, Italy, and Egypt, where he studied wild animals, worked in diamond mines, surveyed the works of Cellini and Michael Angelo, and sketched alongside archaeologists in the tombs of the Nile River Valley. After immigrating to New York in 1893, Gustav Manz continued to devote himself to the real-life study of animals and artifacts. He befriended zookeepers, likely at several of the New York Zoological Society's (currently World Conservation Society), who allowed him to spend countless hours observing and sketching the animals. He also enjoyed rare privilege at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he acquired exact measurements for several jeweled Egyptian artifacts {1}. Researcher Courtney Bowers discovered Herr Manz's sketches, sales records, and designs tucked away in a dusty corner of the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. Along with two of Herr Manz's great-granddaughters, Laura and Cuyler Mathews, the dedicated investigator has worked tirelessly to pair the goldsmith's extensive design drawings with his sales logs in order to determine which of his designs were sold to which design firms. Experts widely agree that in addition to crafting pieces for jewelry firms such as  Black, Starr, and Frost, A.A. Valentine, and Gorham, Herr Manz also designed pieces for Cartier. However, as of September, Ms. Bowers and her research partners have been denied access to Cartier records to confirm the notations found in Herr Manz's ledgers regarding the numerous sales he made to the firm. Therefore, more research is required to confirm whether this Cartier ring was in fact designed and manufactured by the late Gustav Manz. Given that Ms. Bowers and the Herr's family continue their campaign to honor the master craftsman's personal contribution to jewelry history, this writer believes it is just a matter of time before Gustav Manz pieces will command even higher premiums than this ring brought. In fact, perhaps their efforts have already paid off. Just three years ago, what is appears to be this precise ring was sold at Bonham's for $8,125. That is a greater than 60% increase.  Something assures me that the proud new owner of this impeccable golden elephant ring will find that the weighty investment made at auction this year will yield an even greater return in just a few short years. Bibliography 1. "A Master Sculptor in Precious Metals: Gustav Manz, Disciple of Cellini, Whose Methods Are Those of the Florentine Craftsmen of Mediaeval Days." Arts & Decoration, 1926, p. 68. 2. Bowers, Courtney. "The Life and Jewelry of Gustav Manz." The Magazine Antiques. Accessed April 9, 2013. http://www.themagazineantiques.com/articles/the-life-and-jewelry-of-gustav-manz/. 3. Gustav Manz. "3650 Campaign." Accessed April 9, 2013. http://www.gustavmanz.com. 4. "Elephants in the Room: Gustav Manz at the Forbes Jewelry Gallery." GustavManz Blog, October 16, 2011. http://gustavmanz.blogspot.com/2011/10/elephants-in-room-gustav-manz-and-other.html. 5. Jeweler's Circular, The, 1923, Volume 87, Issue 2, p. 55. 6. Kahn, Eve M. "Determined to Give a Craftsman His Due." The New York Times, September 27, 2012. Accessed April 9, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/arts/design/giving-a-craftsman-his-due.html?_r=1&. 7. McKinstry, E. Richard, compiler. Guide to the Winterthur Library: the Joseph Downs Collection and the Winterthur Archives. Wilmington: Winterthur Museum, 2003.