Museum of Fine Arts, Boston acquires iconic René Boivin starfish brooch
(Artdaily.org)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has acquired an iconic piece of jewelry: a gold, ruby and amethyst starfish brooch made in 1937 by the Parisian house René Boivin and once owned by the Hollywood star Claudette Colbert. Designed in 1935 by Juliette Moutard, the ornament is lifelike in both scale and movement, with each of its five arms fully articulated to mimic the crawling movement of a real starfish. The brooch’s extraordinary design, craftsmanship and history make it a significant addition to the MFA’s growing collection of 20th-century jewelry. The brooch was produced at René Boivin under Jeanne Boivin, who took over her husband’s namesake company following his death in 1917, making her the first woman to ever direct a French jewelry house. Madame René