Jewelry Alex Calder Made for the Women in His Family Is up for Auction

Alex Calder is perhaps best known for inventing the mobile—a kinetic sculpture in which abstract shapes are gently moved by natural air currents—but the late, great American sculptor was also a talented jeweler.

In fact, Calder, known to many as “Sandy,” produced approximately 1,800 unique, handcrafted pieces of wearable art throughout his life, according to the Met, which held the first museum exhibition dedicated to his jewelry in 2008. He famously created custom jewelry for his closest family and friends—five pieces of which will go under the gavel at Bonhams this fall.

Calder made jewelry as bold and dynamic as his sculpture, constantly experimenting with materials and forms. His avant-garde creations, often in brass, copper, and silver, became popular with 20th-century high society, artists, and celebrities, including socialite Peggy Guggenheim, painter Georgia O’Keeffe, and actress Anjelica Huston, to name but a few.

Calder’s jewelry continues to resonate with high-profile names, too: Just this past September, reality TV star-turned-model Kendall Jenner wore a pair of his hand-hammered silver earrings at the Venice Film Festival. (They originally belonged to the wife of renowned graphic designer Ivan Chermayeff, according to Louisa Guinness, the London-based gallerist who gave them to Jenner.)

The five pieces heading to auction were each made as a gift for a woman in Calder’s family: his sister, his mother, and his niece. They are entirely bespoke, made for that particular person. Because Calder refused every offer to mass-produce his jewelry, any piece that comes to market is a rare find. This quintet has remained in private hands for nearly 70 years, making it rarer still.

The auction star is a necklace Calder made for his sister Margaret Calder Hayes. “Peggy” was a close confidante, a lifelong muse, and a recipient of his early works. Though it was executed circa 1940, the silver piece showcases hand-wrought curves that feel decidedly modern. It is expected to hammer down for between $100,000 and $150,000.

Also on offer are sculptural silver earrings (estimate: $40,000–$60,000) that Calder gifted Peggy, which look very similar to the pair Jenner wore at Venice. Rounding out the five are two silver brooches spelling out the initials of Calder’s mother (Nanette) and niece (Eva), and a spiral-shaped silver ring for his niece.

Bonhams has valued the collection at nearly $300,000. It will be on view at the auction house’s new N.Y.C. flagship from November 7, before crossing the block in the Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on November 19.