An Elusive French Designer…
T
his Roger Edet of Paris Modernist gold-washed heavy link bracelet in a geometric architectural design is from the 1940s. It is clearly a hand-wrought creation by a master of metalwork and Moderne design; it articulates beautifully and exhibits a strong presence.
It is signed “Roger Edet Paris” and “modele depose”. “Modele depose” translates as “registered design”, and meant that the design was registered with the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne; this was mostly found on clocks and watches, so its appearance here is part of the mystery. And Roger Edet? I have scoured the internet and searched through all my research books and come up almost empty-handed — except for a couple of French magazine ads from 1944-46, that reveal that he had a shop on the Rue de Turbigo in Paris in those years. In the ad shown here, you can see what looks like an almost identical bracelet to this one, by itself to the right.
So this bracelet is the very definition of rare and desirable! Add to that its evocative design and brilliant execution, and you have a bracelet for the ages.