ENGUERRAND DU SUAU DE LA CROIX Silver decorative element representing a fleur-de-lys, centered on Joan of Arc in a plique-à-jour enameled design. Unsigned. Master stamp. Preserved in its case. Height: approx. 4.2cm. Gross weight: 6.4g An early 20th century Enguerrand du Suau de la Croix plique-à-jour element A wealthy aristocrat, Enguerrand Du Suau de la Croix (1840-1914) devoted himself entirely to the art of enamel, his passion. Self-taught, over time he developed a remarkable mastery of the plique-à-jour technique. In 1889, he registered a patent for his major innovation, a translucent high-fire enamel with double cabochon high-relief on openwork metal. From 1898 onwards, his recognition grew with his participation in the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français, where he was awarded a prize. He also exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, winning a bronze medal in the goldsmith's and silversmith's section. His works, ranging from jewelry to commemorative medals, are marked by his political, religious and cultural convictions. They bear witness to his attachment to royalism and the Christian faith. The fleur-de-lys and Joan of Arc, both "Christian martyr and royalist icon", are motifs and subjects regularly used in his work. Despite the introduction of his son and daughter-in-law to enamel work, his art fell into oblivion after his death. It was only in 2012, thanks to a donation to the Musée d'Orsay, that her work was rediscovered and her importance in the art of enameling brought to light. Violette Charpentier, Le fonds Enguerrand du Suau de la Croix, Musée d'Orsay, dissertation Université Paris IV, 2015