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Transformable Brooch (Patent 1967) - Sculptor Pierre Manoli (1927-2001) - Historic SNCF Edition - Gilded Brass
€264
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Private sellerProduct description
This Sculpture brooch was designed in 1966 by the French sculptor Pierre Manoli, as part of an official commission from the SNCF for the XIXth International Railway Congress.
The SNCF ordered 600 brooches, intended for the wives and daughters of international delegates.
Conceived as a jewelry-Sculpture, this creation is made of fine gold-plated brass and consists of several mobile elements that can pivot, allowing each wearer to personalize the jewel.
The vast majority of the brooches have been modified or personalized by their owners, making the examples remaining in their original configuration particularly rare, if not unique, today.
This innovative concept of a "transformable jewel" was the subject of a patent filed in 1966 and issued in June 1967.
An example of this brooch is preserved at the Musée Manoli, a museum dedicated to the sculptor's work.
✔ Brooch signed Manoli
✔ Fine gold-plated brass
✔ Brutalist / modernist design
✔ Institutional SNCF commission
✔ Limited production (600 copies)
✔ Documented, patented, and referenced object in a museum collection (documents available to the buyer)
Dimensions: 4.8 to 5.6/6 cm
Specifications
ConditionExcellentColorsGoldMaterialBrass, OtherNumber of items1Height6 cmWidth5 cmDepth5 cm
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About this seller
Private sellerParis, FranceOn Whoppah since August 2026 • 2 sales