Auguste Bonaz
Cesar Bonaz founded the Bonaz factory at the end of the 19th century. Early work used horn for hair ornaments and various other accessories. Auguste Bonaz began working with his father and took over management in 1900, with help from his wife, Marguerite. The craft production of ornamental combs, highly fashionable at the time, developed rapidly with the discovery of new materials: celluloid and galalith. Auguste unfortunately died in 1922, and his widow, Marguerite Marie Bailly, continued the firm and made Auguste Bonaz's name famous. They produced combs and created fashionable jewelry collections, including necklaces, earrings, brooches, and bracelets typical of the Art Deco period, as well as magnificent Galalith boxes and accessories.
Although their jewelry was made of non-precious materials, they exhibited at the 1925 Arts Décoratifs et Industriels exhibition in Paris, which made Art Deco famous.
The striking originality of the design and materials made these pieces highly desirable in the 1970s, when Art Deco was recognized as one of the most important and influential design movements of the 20th century. Art collectors and dealers like Ilyana Sonnabend and Andy Warhol purchased necklaces and bracelets by Bonaz.
Today, these pieces are almost impossible to find, but they continue to attract attention for their revolutionary design.
