1970s Erté Signed Serigraph Pair – Yellow Turban Ap 60/60 & Rose Turban 264/300 Framed

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This pair of hand-signed Erté serigraphs from the 1979 Turban Suite—"Yellow Turban" (rare Artist's Proof AP 60/60) and "Rose Turban" … Read more This pair of hand-signed Erté serigraphs from the 1979 Turban Suite—"Yellow Turban" (rare Artist's Proof AP 60/60) and "Rose Turban" (edition 264/300)—weaves a tale of Art Deco enchantment.

Two elegant women emerge from the shadows of exotic inspiration. Their profiles are framed in circular medallions like jewels from a bygone era.

"Yellow Turban," framed at 28" x 28" with an approximate 16–18" diameter image, features a poised muse. Dramatic lashes frame a knowing gaze. A textured yellow-green headpiece gleams with a golden medallion. Swirling blue robes contrast against inky black, evoking the mystery of midnight soirées.
"Rose Turban," framed at 29" x 27" with a similar 16–18" diameter image, counterpoints with a serene dreamer. Her braided crown blooms in pink-and-orange roses tied by sapphire ribbons. Petals drift on a twilight purple canvas like whispers of romance.

What binds them is more than their shared 1979 birth in Erté's studio. It's a journey together through a 2003 Norwegian Star cruise. Acquired as companions by collectors Steve and Rita Span. Reunited in a 2025 estate auction.

Their ornate gold leaf frames mirror each other in carved opulence. Creating a harmonious duo for walls that crave symmetry and glamour.

The magic lies in the serigraph process. Silkscreen layers of ink, built up thickly for embossed depth. Fabrics feel tangible. Colors pop with an intensity lithography can't match.
Serigraphy's opaque pigments deliver unmatched vibrancy and saturation. Holding light like gemstones. Where litho's thinner washes fade into subtlety. Printed on heavy archival wove paper. Acid-free and enduring. These pieces promise timeless allure.
Bundling them honors their destined partnership. Amplifying their beauty in tandem display. Where one turban's bold mystery dances with the other's floral poetry.
Turning a simple wall into a portal to Erté's world of theatrical elegance.

In the twilight of his extraordinary career, Romain de Tirtoff—better known as Erté, the Russian-born French maestro dubbed the "Father of Art Deco"—conjured the 1979 Turban Suite. A luminous tribute to the exotic allure that had captivated him since his early days in 1910s Paris.

At age 87, Erté revisited the orientalist motifs that once inspired his costume designs for the Folies Bergère. And collaborations with couturier Paul Poiret, whose famed 1911 "Arabian Nights" reception had popularized turbans as symbols of opulent fantasy. The suite, comprising at least "Rose Turban," "Yellow Turban," and "The Mirror," transforms these headpieces into emblems of feminine mystique. Each portrait encased in a circular frame like a precious cameo.
Blending geometric precision with theatrical drama to echo the Art Deco revival sweeping the late 1970s.

Picture "Yellow Turban" as the enigmatic elder sister: a woman in profile, her exaggerated lashes casting shadows. A beauty mark adding intrigue, and a single blonde curl escaping like a secret. Her headwear—a richly textured yellow-green wrap crowned by a patterned orange medallion—shimmers against a velvety black void. Bordered in fiery red-orange, while her blue garment coils in hypnotic spirals. Evoking the swirling energy of a midnight masquerade.
Framed at 28" x 28" with an approximate 16–18" diameter image, it captures the bold mystery of Erté's theatrical roots.

Its counterpart, "Rose Turban," blooms with softer poetry: a downward-gazing figure with azure eyeshadow. Her braided crown a vibrant tangle of pink, orange, and white roses interlaced with blue ribbons. Petals cascading like gentle confessions on a dusky purple ground framed in cyan. Measuring 29" x 27" framed with a similar 16–18" diameter image, it radiates serene romance. Perfectly balancing the pair's dynamic interplay.

Their bond deepened through shared adventures beyond the studio: acquired as a pair during an August 24, 2003, voyage on the Norwegian Star cruise ship.

Labels whisper of this origin—"NORWEGIAN STAR 08/24/03 Y463-3800" for Yellow, with Lot# CP 46 and Reg# 128806.0002. "ERTE Rose Turban N481.127611.0067 C08" for Rose—before they resurfaced together in a December 2025 CTBids Rockville estate auction.
Their fates intertwined like the turbans' intricate weaves.

This provenance not only authenticates their journey but elevates them as soulmates.
Perfectly suited for bundling: their near-identical ornate gold leaf frames, with carved motifs and double matting (black for Yellow's intensity, complementary hues for Rose's softness).

Create visual harmony in square proportions.
Ideal for symmetric hanging that transforms a space into an Art Deco sanctuary—dressing rooms alive with glamour, powder rooms whispering romance, or bars glowing with theatrical light.

What elevates these serigraphs to artistry is the silkscreen process itself.
A meticulous craft where Erté's designs were reborn through layers of ink pushed through fine mesh screens. One color at a time—up to 20 or 30 for his complex palettes—building opaque deposits that capture light with jewel-like brilliance. Unlike lithography's oil-based transfers on stone or metal, which yield smoother but thinner, less saturated hues prone to subtlety and fading. Serigraphy's viscous inks allow for bold, long-lasting vibrancy: colors stack thickly for depth and opacity. Creating a tactile embossing that makes turbans feel woven and petals palpable. Holding their radiance over decades.

Printed on heavy archival wove paper—smooth, cotton-rag based, acid-free like Arches or Stonehenge—these pieces resist yellowing and degradation. Preserving Erté's vision with museum-worthy endurance.

Bundling them isn't mere convenience; it's a celebration of their destined unity.
Much like Erté's suites were meant to converse across walls. As a pair, they amplify each other's beauty—the yellow's dramatic edge softened by the rose's tenderness.
While offering collectors a complete narrative, evoking the thrill of discovering matched treasures from a single collection.

This cohesion boosts emotional appeal, simplifying decisions for buyers envisioning them in glam interiors. And often commands higher value than solos, turning two prints into a timeless story of elegance and exoticism.

In excellent vintage condition, with vibrant, unfaded tones free of foxing or tears.
And frames bearing only minor age-kissed nicks yet wired for immediate display.
This duo invites you into Erté's world, where every glance reveals new layers of 1920s-inspired wonder. See less