S.T. DUPONT Haute Creation / 75th Anniversary / Arc De Triomphe By Tournaire / Lighter Exclusive Version

ARC DE TRIOMPHE BY TOURNAIRE
LIGHTER – EXCLUSIVE VERSION

ARC DE TRIOMPHE BY TOURNAIRE

Inspiration

The Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, the world’s largest triumphal arch, forms the backdrop for an impressive urban ensemble in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It is the climax of a vista seen the length of the Champs Elysées from he smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries gardens, and from the Obélisque de Luxor in the place de la Concorde.

In 1806, Napoleon I conceived of a triumphal arch patterned after those of ancient Rome and dedicated to the glory of his imperial armies. The structure was designed by Jean François Thérèse Chalgrin (1739-1811), completed in 1833 and inaugurated in 1836 by the French king, Louis-Philippe. Product of late 18thcentury romantic neoclassicism, the arch has become an emblem of French patriotism.

Since 1920, the tomb of France’s Unknown Soldier has been sheltered underneath the arch. Its eternal flame commemorates the sacrifices of the two world wars, and is rekindled every evening.

Physical Description

At the bases of the Arc’s pillars are four huge relief sculptures, commemorating The Triumph of 1810 (by Cortot); Resistance, and Peace (both by Etex). Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The Arc de Triumphe lighter symbolizes the 75th year celebration of lightermaking in the history of S.T.Dupont created by our finest craftsmanship of Tournaire and the Maison Dupont. The true innovation of this is translated into palladium and gold finished lighters alone.

Exclusive lighter with base – limited to 88 numbered pieces in both yellow gold & rhodium finishes. Exclusive lighter also available without base – limited to 288 numbered pieces. Ultra Exclusive Jeroboam lighter limited to 8 numbered pieces in rhodium finishes.

ABOUT TOURNAIRE

MASTER JEWELLER

Philippe TOURNAIRE, an artist-jeweller for over 40 years, creates pieces combining architecture and high jewellery thanks to its showcasing of exceptional stones, meticulous sculpture and incredible three-dimensional work. He is rewarded by the prestigious Living Heritage Company Label (EPV) which is a mark of official recognition of the French State to French firms for the excellence of their traditional and industrial skills.

A long initiatory voyage
At his beginnings he worked alone in an abandoned cellar that he converted into an atelier. He has never been formally trained as a jeweller and holds a degree in electronics; but it turned out to be fortunate, as it gave him the opportunity to keep a genuine open mind. His voyages to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the US, brought him a great deal of traditional savoir-faire along with an understanding of modernity, thus allowing his audience to better comprehend the originality of his jewellery, the roots of which go back some 40 years.

Artist to his fingertips
Today, Philippe Tournaire does not hesitate to keep ancestral, even archaic, techniques but also uses new technologies. The combination of the two very different techniques gives the final piece an incomparable result. His fascination with the hand-crafted jewellery and ornaments of our earliest ancestors, his open-mindedness and his incessant quest for originality are the qualities that transform each of his creations into masterpieces combining precious metals and stones with the history of art and science. Every stone is set to showcase its beauty, each material is sculpted scrupulously, depths and dimensions are explored, and ancestral skills are fused with technology to create exceptional pieces that balance the art of the architecture with that of “Haute Joaillerie”.