Small clock-lighter

This small clock-lighter, made in 1936, illustrates the Maison’s adoption of the tenets of the Union des artistes modernes (UAM) and their application to domestic objects. Combining the functions of a small clock and an electrical lighter, this piece takes the form of a square-based prism made of engraved styptor, a metal alloy patented by the Maison in 1932. The whole object rests on a highly polished yellow gold gadrooned base. Two push-buttons on the sides of the base activate The lighter. The pronounced verticality and geometric form of this object recall the Modernist architecture of Robert Mallet-Stevens, among others. This small clock is also characterized by its contrasting play of different planes, chromatic tones, and surface treatments of the metals used.