Currently being held in the Nave at the Arts Decoratifs in Paris is an exhibition of the spectacular jewellery of the legendary house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Organised by the Paris based design agency of Jouin-Manku, the “L’Art de la Haute Joaillerie exhibition is a retrospective of the exceptional pieces created by the skilled artisans of Van Cleef & Arpels from the house’s inception in 1906 to the present day, every item a testament to the fashion and design trends of each era.
When approaching the concept of the exhibition, Jouin and Manku had the task of transforming the vast dimensions of the space into a more intimate area in which to display the precious items. They accomplished this by suspending an organic sculpture in midnight blue and displaying the jewellery in a darkened room in tubular cases. The controlled illumination of the cases allows each piece to be appreciated in much the same way as a small but stunning work of art.
The jewellery on display in this marvellous exhibition is supported by an archive of documentation, films and photographs which give a peek into the mysteries of the specialist techniques passed down through generations of artisans employed by the jewellery house. The exhibition runs through to February 10th 2013.
