Henri Vever

Henri Vever (1854–1942) was one of the most preeminent European jewelers of the early 20th century, operating the family business, Maison Vever, started by his grandfather. Vever's jewelry designs were renowned for their innovative use of enamel and gemstones, drawing significant influence from Japanese art, particularly in his naturalistic motifs. His pieces exhibited at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris solidified his reputation as a master of Art Nouveau jewelry. In collaboration with illustrator Eugène Grasset, Vever created innovative jewelry pieces that received acclaim at the Exposition, including intricate designs inspired by European mythology.

Vever was known for his innovative use of precious gemstones, such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, in contrast to other Art Nouveau jewelers who favored more affordable materials.

Henri was also a collector of a broad range of fine art, including prints, paintings, and books of both European and Asian origin. By the 1880s, Vever became one of the earliest Europeans to formally collect Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, purchasing extensively from dealers such as Hayashi Tadamasa. He was a member of Les Amis de l'Art Japonais, a group of Japanese art enthusiasts including Claude Monet, that met regularly to discuss Japanese prints and other works over dinner. Many of Vever's prints also ended up in the national museums of France, donated earlier by Vever himself. He stopped collecting in the 1930s, and his "legendary" collection disappeared the following decade amid World War II and the German occupation of France, not to reappear until 1974 when Sotheby's announced that the collection would be auctioned. Part II: 26 March 1975, 410 lots Part III: 24 March 1977, 415 lots Final Part: 30 October 1997, 197 lots Works from the first two parts were soon re-printed, together with 148 prints not sold at those auctions, in a limited-edition (2000-copy) three-volume catalog: Japanese Prints & Drawings from the Vever Collection, by Jack Hillier.