Hanae Mori (1926-2022) Japanese, "The Kiss of the Golden Butterfly" 14k Gold and Freshwater Pearls Pendant Necklace - Gross 5.1 g. The beautiful pendant shows a butterfly resting on a flower made up of six pearls. Chain is marked "Italy" and "14k," and did not originally come with the pendant. Comes with original box and with certificate of authenticity with information about the pendant including a signature from the designer and a date of April 1st, 1980. 

Size of Box: 3 1/4 x 4 x 1 1/4 in. 

Size of Necklace (closed): 8 3/4 in. 

Gross Weight: 3.2 dwt. 5.1 g. 

Hanae Mori was a pioneering Japanese fashion designer and the first Asian woman to lead an official haute couture house in Paris. Born January 8th, 1926 in Muikaichi, Shimane, Japan, she studied at Tokyo Women’s Christian University before attending dress-making school, and opened her first atelier, Hiyoshiya, in 1951. Over the next decade she designed costumes for hundreds of films before a life-changing meeting with Coco Chanel inspired her to pursue high fashion, and her breakthrough 1965 New York collection, “East Meets West,” famously blended traditional Japanese motifs like butterflies with modern Western styles. Beyond the runway she designed iconic flight attendant uniforms for Japan Air Lines and the wedding gown for Crown Princess Masako, and throughout her career she dressed international icons such as Grace Kelly, Nancy Reagan, and Hillary Clinton, building a global business that reached half a billion dollars in revenue. For her immense contributions to culture and design, Mori was awarded both the French Legion of Honor and Japan’s Order of Culture, and her death at her home in Tokyo on August 11th, 2022 was mourned by the nation. 

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