“Stop to admire these exquisite platinum and diamond dress clips, a sparkling example of Art Deco design. Their geometric precision and dual-toned diamonds reveal the era's sophisticated luxury.”
These dazzling dress clips, crafted in 1930, perfectly capture the exuberance and glamour of the Art Deco era. Fashioned from platinum, a metal prized for its strength and brilliant white sheen, they are encrusted with both white and yellow diamonds. The geometric precision and intricate openwork design are characteristic of the period, reflecting a fascination with modernity and industrial sleekness. Imagine these adorning a silk dress or a cloche hat, catching the light as the wearer moved. They weren't just functional fasteners; they were statements of luxury and cutting-edge style, designed to sparkle under the electric lights of a sophisticated evening out. Their delicate yet bold construction speaks to the masterful craftsmanship of the time, where even small accessories were treated as miniature works of art.
- Artist
- Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen
- Date
- 1930
- Medium
- Platinum with white and yellow diamonds
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 2.5 × 5.8 cm (1 × 2 1/4 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- Chicago
- Credit line
- Gift of the Antiquarian Society through the William C. Bannerman Foundation
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The delicate openwork platinum, creating a lace-like effect.
The contrast between the white and subtle yellow diamonds.
The precise geometric patterns that define the Art Deco style.
How the clips are designed as a mirrored pair, meant to be worn together.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen
This 'Artist Unknown' represents a vast collection of anonymous creators, whose works like 'Boston Common' and 'Self Portrait' offer glimpses into diverse historical periods and artistic practices.
Further Works by Aberdeen
Southern Barbarians
1625 · Art Institute of Chicago
Baskets with Flowers of the Four Seasons
1701 · Art Institute of Chicago
Flower Arrangements
1595 · Art Institute of Chicago
Sketchbook: Souvenir of Naples
1821 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Five Points
1822 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Side Chair
1750 · Art Institute of Chicago
Pair of Side Chairs
1770 · Art Institute of Chicago
Punch Bowl
1789 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Aberdeen: works from the same years.
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
And Man Created God in His Own Image
Ivan Puni · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Straße mit Passanten bei Nachtbeleuchtung
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1927 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Abstraction: Background with Blue Cloudy Sky
Pablo Picasso · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Grant Wood · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Sunset
Paul Klee · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Eye
René Magritte · 1932 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Circus Rider
Marc Chagall · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lemons on a Pewter Plate
Henri Matisse · 1926 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Untitled (Desert Landscape)
Salvador Dalí · 1934 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Blue Forest
Max Ernst · 1925 · Art Institute of Chicago
