All That Glitters...

Pretty things galore will be on show at MoCA Shanghai this month, with a brand new retrospective from famous Parisian jewellery house, Van Cleef & Arpels, exhibiting more than a century of the jewellery maison’s greatest blinging bauble hits.

This new exhibition, entitled ‘Timeless Beauty’, is obviously designed to use Van Cleef & Arpels’ considerable heritage and high-end European pedigree in order to introduce the brand to a whole new generation of jewellery consumers in the Middle Kingdom. But even for those of us mere mortals for whom a luxurious Van Cleef & Arpels purchase is unlikely to feature in our future, it’s a great opportunity to get up close and personal with 370 of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most important jewels, watches and accessories, brought together from private collections in France and around the world.

The jewellery house will be collaborating with Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, from the Jouin Manku design agency, who were both charged with creating the scenography for the exhibition. They describe what they have done with the 1,200 square metre, two-floor interior space at MoCA Shanghai as “dreamlike”, and said their aim was to reflect the magic and creativity Van Cleef & Arpels are known for in their jewellery designs in an interior design.

“In order to create a sensual and mysterious installation, we have used various types of illusions,” Jouin said. “Sometimes you think you see a butterfly, but it may be a bird or just a shadow in reality. You may come up close to the jewels and have them suddenly disappear.”

The results are rather breathtaking, with the exhibited pieces encased in giant, transparent drops, so that they appear suspended in the air. Although the separation is subtle, it is also possible to discern the exhibits moving through the show’s four subcategories: Exoticism, Nature, Femininity and Elegance. The progression feels smooth, but each section has a distinct feel that coincides with its inspiration.

For Sinophiles, the Exoticism section is sure to hold plenty of interest, with many of the pieces indicative of the Chinoiserie that swept through the fashionable end of Europe in the early part of the 20th century.

Indicative of this trend are pieces such as the ‘Dragon Vanity Case’, originally made in 1923 and quintessentially art deco in form (reflecting the period in which it was made). Featuring a contrasting red and black colour-scheme, and using enamel for a lacquer-like finish, it’s easy to imagine a qipao-clad Shanghainese society lady of the ‘20s carting her lipstick and powder to a night out on the Bund in this little beauty.

The ruby and diamond-encrusted ‘Chrysanthemum Clip’, from 1937 also reflects the ways in which China proved inspirational for Van Cleef & Arpels’ master jewellers in the first half of the 20th century. China’s chrysanthemum mythology is dripping with stories and symbolism. Also known as the “Autumn Flower”, chrysanthemums were believed to have life-giving properties because of their ability to grow and bloom in comparably cold climates.

Another major draw of the Timeless Beauty exhibition is the link between the Van Cleef & Arpels’ brand and some of the last century’s more beautiful icons of femininity, including Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, and, of course, HRH Princess Grace of  Monaco, whose tiara (worn on the occasion of her daughter’s wedding) is also on show at Shanghai MoCA. 

Van Cleef & Arpels not only created the set of jewels presented to Grace Kelly when she became engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, they would also become the “Official supplier to the principality of Monaco”. It was the start of what proved to be an eye-catching relationship between one of the world’s most feted princesses and one of the premier jewellers of Europe. This particular diadem being exhibited at MoCA Shanghai features 144 diamonds weighing in at more than 77 carats.

According to Jouin, the opportunity to take inspiration from Van Cleef & Arpels’ archive of creativity and iconography is a dream come true for a designer. It is this legacy which has not only inspired the scenography, but will, Jouin believes, also have an impact on anyone who comes along to MoCA to experience it first-hand.

“These jewels and objets d’arts have been influenced by artistic movements, exotic cultures and icons,” he said. “All combine imagination and elegance and there are some that carry a special aura because they are linked to the very special women who inspired their creation, wore them, or owned them.”

Van Cleef & Arpels: Timeless Beauty will run at MoCA Shanghai until 15 July. 

MoCA Shanghai. 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Bei Lu. Tel: 6320 9900, Web: www.mocashanghai.org