Gypsy Monkey Brooch, Green Enamel

With a sense of humor, a playful, bold approach to design, and an affinity for bright colors, David Webb wasn’t afraid to monkey around a little — or a lot, in the case of his iconic monkey pieces. The Gypsy Monkey Brooch was a standout among Webb’s barrel of monkeys — the ultimate playful expression, bringing a smile and a wink to both wearer and viewer. Not one to rest on his laurels, on the heels of winning the 1964 Coty American Fashion Critics’ award, he was already planning his next collection, Renaissance-inspired baroque pearl animal brooches that hit the market in 1965.  The brooches were an instant hit. Fashion writer Eugenia Sheppard wrote about these one-of-a-kind treasures in her article for the New York Herald Tribune, “Pearl with a Belly Button” and quoted David Webb: Monkeys are a great cult, like frogs and snakes. – David Webb While David Webb’s wild cats purred off the pages and leapt onto the wrists and shoulders of New York society and the zebra bracelet earned its