Max Neiger vintage costume jewelry

10.01.2021

321 1 minute read

Max Neiger vintage costume jewelry
The Czech Republic is the birthplace of many talented world’s famous jewelry designers. Among them, the Neiger brothers, Max and Norbert, who created their collections for 35 years. The brothers were born and lived most of their lives in the Czech town of Jablonec, the center of technical glass and costume jewellery production in Bohemia.
Norbert, after graduating from the Jablonec technical school in 1905, was the first to start a business, and later his younger brother joined him. Norbert handled the economics and Max was the designer. After the First World War, they produced jewelry only according to Max’s sketches. The demand for their high quality and highly artisan jewelry was great in Europe and America.
The fame of the high quality and modern design of the Neiger brothers’ jewelry spread quickly. Sales of products and the number of new customers grew. In 1926, the brothers expanded their jewelry production and moved to new, more suitable premises. By this time, they already had two dozen employees.
Noteworthy, the Neiger brothers did not label the jewelry they produced. They saw no need for this. Besides, the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, by a decree of October 14, 1920 required marking only for items made of gold and silver.

1930s dragon brooch. Brass, enamel, art glass. 6 cm

Max Neiger vintage costume jewelry

At first, their filigree designs included Chinese and Indian motif, and after the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 – Egyptian ones. On the wave of exotic fashion these designs became very popular. Traditionally, the designers used imitation of jade and coral, enamels and metal covered with gold or rhodium. In addition, they produced perfume bottles, also decorated with metal filigree and inlay.

Photo of Max Niger found in Hitler's archives in the lists of people to be exterminated along with their families — Photo of Max Niger found in Hitler’s archives in the lists of people to be exterminated along with their families

Unfortunately, their life ended tragically. Being Jews by nationality, they with children and elderly parents, died in concentration camps when Germany occupied Bohemia. From Jablonec they fled to Prague in 1938, and in 1941 were arrested there. In 1941, 90,000 Jews lived in Bohemia and Moravia, and only 14,000 of them survived the war.