DUBAI: French luxurious label Van Cleef & Arpels is about to host an exhibition in Saudi Arabia in January. 

Titled “Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love,” the present, which can be open to the general public on Jan. 19, will show 280 items — a mixture of knickknack, sketches and objets d’artwork.

To get a deeper perception forward of the exhibit, Arab Information spoke to Lise Macdonald, director of patrimony and exhibitions at Van Cleef & Arpels.

“The curatorial strategy of this exhibition actually has a global resonance,” Macdonald mentioned. “We wished to have an exhibition within the Kingdom and had been in talks with the Nationwide Museum of Saudi Arabia, which was very excited about working with us on this present. So we felt we had an excellent companion — a critical cultural establishment within the coronary heart of Riyadh,” Macdonald says of why Saudi Arabia was the chosen vacation spot.

The items, which vary from creations from the start of the maison in 1906 to more moderen creations, are a mixture of the patrimonial assortment – i.e., a mixture of Van Cleef & Arpels’s historic assortment together with non-public loans and archives. “Now we have a lot of authentic drawings on show too, which actually assist perceive the method of jewelry-making.” 

On show are some vital historic items, together with the necklace of Begum Salimah Aga Khan and the “Zip” necklace.

“The begum’s necklace is among the most vital items of the patrimonial assortment and is constituted of engraved emeralds, in addition to gold and diamonds,” Macdonald mentioned.

The spectacular Indian-inspired necklace options 44 engraved 18th-century emeralds and greater than 745 diamonds and may be worn as a necklace, choker, two particular person bracelets and a pendant that turns into a clip.

The Zip necklace, in the meantime, occurs to be one of many maison’s most difficult and boldest creations — the concept of translating a zipper into a bit of high-jewelry exhibits the savoire faire that defines Van Cleef & Arpels.

One in all Macdonald’s favorites features a piece from the Nature part — a big chicken of paradise brooch — superbly capturing the home’s endless fascination with birds.

“It’s a tremendous piece that has been captured in full movement. You may see the wings and really feel that the chicken in entrance of you is in full flight. Moreover, it is usually symbolic — the piece was created throughout World Warfare II — and have become emblematic of freedom — of having the ability to fly,” she mentioned. 

One other considered one of her favorites features a sketch of a cage from the Nineteen Thirties, which was created to accommodate a real-life frog and later two stone-carved birds.

“We lately acquired a set of drawings and located some research of this cage. You will notice on show the cage and 4 drawings exhibiting completely different variations — it exhibits you the inventive course of behind the ultimate murals.”

Deciding what items to show required a relentless dialogue between the maison and the curator (Alba Cappallieri).

“An exhibition is a really collaborative course of — you’re working with curators, designers, architects, lighting designers — so it’s a relentless supply of dialogue. For this present, we had two years of planning concerned.”