A lion-faced Chimera guards a cushion cut garnet on this hand-wrought brooch from the late 1890s carved by master goldsmith Gustav Manz for jeweler F. Walter Lawrence
Art critic Judith H. Dobrzynski described the bronze Chimera of Arezzo (400 B.C.) a "splendid example of the imaginary made nearly real." No doubt the fire-breathing Etruscan monstress inspired Gustav Manz, who—after years of sketching ancient art hoisted back to Europe during his apprenticeship—produced his own interpretation of this and dozens of other mythological gems for salon jeweler F. Walter Lawrence at the turn of the 20th century. His rendering of the she-dragon has been somewhat streamlined, omitting the creature's goat and serpent head in favor of wearability. Just one inch in diameter, both the front and reverse side of the pin are fully modeled and chased—a mark of conscientious craftsmanship the jeweler was known for.
Above, a gouache drawing of a Chimera found in one of Gustav Manz's design books shown with a Manz ring owned by a descendant. Below, the back of the Chimera pin made for F. Walter Lawrence
Images of Manz/FWL Chimera brooch courtesy Vintage Luxury and 1stdibs.com
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