Aldo Cipullo for Cartier Penguin Brooch

Created during Aldo Cipullo's five year collaboration with Cartier, New York, circa 1970, this penguin brooch is composed of 18K gold, ruby, sapphires, and diamonds. The brooch is designed as a stylized penguin with gypsy-set diamond head and wings, circular-cut ruby eye, and banded sapphire feet. Boldly formed yet whimsical, this charming brooch by Cipullo represents one of the artist's classic "animalier" designs for Cartier.

Dimensions: 2.50" length, 1.00" width.
Materials: 43 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximate total weight 0.40 carat); 6 round-cut sapphires (approximate total weight 0.10 carat); 1 round-cut ruby (approximate total weight 0.04 carat); 18K Gold
Signed: CARTIER 18K C A. CIPULLO

Cipullo's series of "animalier" designs spans his career, from his surrealist touched dogs and antelopes for Tiffany to his streamlined creatures with big personalities created later for Cartier. Highlighted by a special-order diamond and polychrome enamel seahorse, Cipullo's delightful and appealing animals for Cartier also include parrots, tropical fish, toucans, monkeys, poodles, and octopus. His penguins were popular, and came in a range of styles from sleek and streamlined, like this gold form, to opulent enamel and diamond versions.