By Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton.

Auctions are not only about jewelry that once belonged to our ancestors. Three creations of Yasuki Hiramatsu (1926-2012), considered the first contemporary Japanese jeweler-artist, have just been sold by De Zwann (Amsterdam) – marking a first. Highly appreciated by the initiated, his pieces are usually sold in specialized galleries and have no auction price yet. The showpiece, a square brooch in crumpled gold, is characteristic of Hiramatsu’s sensual relationship with the material. Coming from a family of metalworkers, Hiramatsu finely rolled his gold, then bent, crumpled, hammered or beat it to create textured surfaces. The shapes are simple, the most important thing is the relationship of the metal to the light. The brooch (a similar example can be seen at the Victoria & Albert Museum), estimated at €1800-2,200, went under the hammer for €3,200.