Love pendant

A rare Art Déco 18 carat gold locket with the text “+ qu’hier – que demain” in gold on a pretty lilac enamel on a guilloche, the + and – signs in rose cut diamonds with a white enamel border, the locket is decorated with a laurel wreath, France, circa 1920.

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). She wrote the poem ‘Les Vieux’ for her husband and in 1903 Sarah Berhard performed it.