NECKLACE by Sarah BERNHARDT (1844-1923) Gold-plated copper alloy necklace with non-functional antique-style clasp mounted on a plaited chain, alternating square and circular beads from which hang cones and stems ending in balls and granulation. Minor deformations. Private collection from Belgium. Passed down through generations. Length : 48 cm. Gross weight: 92.9 g. This necklace is lot nr. 86 of the "Bijoux de Théâtre" section of the auction sale of the dispersal of Sarah Bernhardt's collections of 11 June 1923 at the Galerie Georges Petit, 8 rue de Sèze, Paris. The label associated with the sale is still attached to the necklace. The sale of Sarah Bernhardt's possessions took place over several days, and not just at the Galerie Petit. It was also held at Drouot from 25 to 27 June 1923, and from 3 to 6 July 1923. But on 11 June 1923, the sale was exclusively of theatrical jewellery from lot 1 to lot 109. She is said to have worn this necklace in "Phèdre", but it appears that Sarah Bernhardt used her jewellery on stage as well as in her civilian life, such as the Byzantine belt in the play "Théodora", which she also wore in "La dame aux camélias", or in her family photo with her granddaughter Simone around 1891. Most of her theatre ornaments were made of rhinestones, gold or silver metal or copper alloys. Today they can be found mainly in Paris museums such as the Musée Carnavalet, the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris. A free woman both in her life and in her eclectic tastes, Sarah Bernhardt was a triumph in the theatre throughout the world and Europe. She took on roles written by the greatest writers of the time. It was death that forced her to retire from the stage on 26 March 1923. She was 79 at the time...