Chaumet Dess(e)in de nature: a promenade among Chaumet’s fauna and flora

 

 

Whether wild or tamed by man, the Chaumet’s jewellers have constantly celebrated the wonder of nature through the ages in their drawings and designs. In Chaumet’s jeweled garden exquisite creativity is joined by the art of storytelling.

A wander through Chaumet’s nature

“Dess(e)in de nature” exhibition celebrates nature’s motifs in Chaumet jewelry creations and includes the luxury Maison’s jewellers’ preparatory drawings and naturalistic-inspired creations.

After spotlighting its affinity with literary world, Chaumet, the high-end jeweller based in Paris, explores the influence of flora and fauna on its jewelry creations in a new exhibition entitled “Dess(e)in de nature”. The exhibition runs until June 15 at the Chaumet 165 cultural space.

The luxury French jewellery and watches house has celebrated the beauty of nature in its jewelry creations ever since the founding of the Maison in 1780, inventing a representation of the living world that transcends technique to elevate the sublime character of precious stones and the grace of jewelry pieces. European oak, wheat, and French gardens are some of the most important motifs found on tiaras, necklaces, rings, brooches, and earrings.

The exhibition “Dess(e)in de nature” was first presented during the 28th Salon du Dessin at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, the main reference in the world of collecting drawings. The exhibition recounts Chaumet’s artistic journey through a selection of a hundred drawings from the 1830s to the early 20th century.

The exhibition has now been brought to the Chaumet cultural space at 165 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris. From initial studies by Maison’s jewelers that evoke botanical plates to the final creations, Chaumet reveals the steps in its secret bejeweled herbarium, where precious stones bloom.

“For the first time, on the occasion of the exhibition Dess(e)in de Nature, Maison Chaumet unveils a selection of its vast collection of drawings and various jewellery and luxury metalwork creations. This dialogue between the pieces illustrates the fluidity between the accuracy of the naturalistic observation and the sophistication of these objets d’art as sources of emotion. The visitor is therefore invited to discover fauna and flora in all its diversity, in its most intimate interactions. The human, by integrating with nature and its design, incarnates the quintessence of the lifestyle of an era. These are fundamental elements that define Chaumet’s savoir-faire in the realm of taste, through its evolution in society as a whole, and among its clientele in particular. By showing the continuity between its creations and the immense diversity of the living world, with Dess(e)in de Nature Chaumet elevates the latter to the highest level, the very definition of the sublime.” said Marc Jeanson, Exhibition Curator.

There are few trees that have been associated with western cultural history as much as the oak. A symbol of majesty, this motif is particularly appreciated in tiara design, following the example of the oak leaf tiara made by Chaumet at the end of the 19th century.

Chaumet has continually reinvented this motif, symbol of fertility and abundance, through the eras, like the gold and diamond brooch created by the Maison in 2015.

A high point of the exhibition, the Vertiges tiara is a representation of nature as architecture. Totally contemporary, it is the result of a competition held by Chaumet among the students of the prestigious Central Saint Martins school in London to design a tiara suitable for the 21st century. The winner, Scott Armstrong, then 21 years old, was inspired by Chaumet’s tradition of naturalism and the geometry of French gardens. His tiara, with its deconstructed composition of curves and straight lines, was realised in the Maison’s High Jewellery atelier.

 

“Dess(e)in de nature” ends on June 15 and will open again from July 24 to September 14. The visit lasts 45 minutes with reservation required to visit.

As of 2012, Chaumet was owned by LVMH luxury group. Last week, LVMH Group has confirmed its participation for Baselworld 2020 within the current framework for its Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith luxury wathmaking brands. For 2021 and the following years, Baselworld is collaborating with the Group and its brands on new presentation concepts and formats.