love charm

A very rare Art Nouveau 18 carat gold charm with the text “+ qu’hier – que demain” surrounded by ivy – symbolizing loyalty – in a vertical lozenge of blue ‘plique ajour’, France, circa 1900.

weight: 3.6 gram
dimensions: 3.5 x 2cm.

Louise-Rose-Étiennette Gérard, known as Rosemonde Gérard (1871-1953) was a French poet and playwright. She was the wife of Edmond Rostand (1868–1918) who was the author of Cyrano de Bergerac), and was a granddaughter of Étienne Maurice Gérard, who was a Marshal and a Prime Minister of France.

Gérard is perhaps best known today as the author of the lines: Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t’aime davantage, Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain.

(For, you see, each day I love you more,
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow)

Gérard wrote this poem for her husband and Sarah Bernhard performed it in 1903, so the little charm is period to the poem.