Paris, France — There is a dragon brooch, a chrysanthemum clip, and butterflies, bountiful butterflies. These are just a few of the 30 precious pieces of jewellery and objects in an exhibition being played out in the Heritage Gallery (Galerie du Patrimoine) at the house of high jewellery that is Van Cleef & Arpels on the Place Vendôme. These astounding pieces, works of art in and of themselves, underscore the influence Japanese art and design had on the house from the 1920s to the present. Opulent and symbolic are hallmarks of the pieces on display like the brooch in the form of a chrysanthemum, the symbol of the Imperial house of Japan, often referred to as the Chrysanthemum Throne. Drawings and documents round out the show.

It was back in 1853 that Japan began to open up to the world and in the West this would give rise to an artistic current that was dubbed in France Japonisme by Philippe Burty, a French art critic of the time. The term referred to the popularity and influence that Japanese art had on Western European artists among them Degas, Monet and the writers Charles Baudelaire and Stéphane Mallarmé. When Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique in Paris in 1906 this Japonisme was already an artistic expression and natural inspiration for jewellers. The house would borrow its signs and symbols transforming them into powerful pieces of high jewellery and objects like the finely crafted and decorated cigarette cases, powder compacts and small purses. Inspiration for these was drawn from the inrô, the small boxes Japanese men wore suspended from their belts since the middle of the 16th century and used for carrying their kimonos. Van Cleef & Arpels would be one of the first Western houses to open a boutique in Japan in 1973.

The noblest of materials were used in crafting these pieces including platinum, enamel, diamonds and gold. Necklace chains took on a life of their own with jade pearls and lacquer sequins. Japanese gardens also served as an inspiration for the house. In Van Cleef & Arpels Haute Joaillerie Les Jardins collection, one finds the Omikuji necklace. Omikuji are long strips bearing messages that are drawn at random in Buddhist temples in Japan. The necklace has « branches » with diamond and pink sapphire « blooms ». This exhibition is running until June 15th. Boutique Van Cleef & Arpels, Galerie du Patrimoine, 20, place Vendôme 75001 Paris. Mondays to Saturdays, 11am until 7pm. Entrance is free of charge and there are multi-lingual guides on hand for explanations and to answer questions. https://www.vancleefarpels.com/en/home.html. Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette