About 200 pieces of jewelry from the collection of Albion Art, Japan’s Kazumi Arikawa, who is considered one of the world’s top four jewelry collectors, visited Korea.
The exhibition ‘The Art of Jewellery: Alluring Jewels, Time of Fascination’, held at the Lotte Museum in Songpa-gu, Seoul until March 16, includes jewels used by Napoleon of France and Queen Victoria of England, as well as jewels of only 3 pieces in the world. A cross made by Valerio Belli, the ‘Raphael of sculpture’, will be unveiled. The exhibition space is directed by Kengo Kuma, a world-renowned Japanese architect, and attracts attention.
Representative Arikawa, who visited Korea last December to mark the opening of the exhibition, mentioned the relationship between Japan and Korea 1,500 years ago, saying, “I was a Buddhist, so I thought about the relationship.”
“There is a story that King Seong of Baekje in the 6th century delivered Buddhist statues and sutras to Japan, and I believe this. I have always thought that Japan benefited Korea greatly at that time. “If I could repay even one hundred millionth of the kindness I received back then by introducing beautiful jewelry, I would be happier than that.”
This exhibition covers works from a wide range of eras, including ancient and medieval Renaissance works, Russia’s Catherine II and 17th- and 18th-century Europe, 19th century Napoleon and the Victorian era, Art Nouveau, Belle Epoque, and Art Deco. Representative Arikawa also explained, “I have exhibited (my collection) about 70 times in museums around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in England, but this is the first time to introduce the long history from the Mesopotamian era to the 1950s.”
The main works chosen by Representative Arikawa are the ‘Belli’s Cross’ and a set of jewels belonging to the royal family of Württemberg in Germany in the 19th century. Belli’s cross was made in the 16th century and stands out for its elaborate craftsmanship. The pedestal was made by a goldsmith in Paris, France in 1762. The Württemberg Royal Family Jewelry Set consists of a tiara, necklace, earrings, bracelet, and brooch using over 100 pink topaz. In addition, the audience will also see a brooch gifted by Napoleon I to the Duke of Bassano, a corsage ornament made by Alphonse Mucha, and a bracelet gifted by Queen Victoria to the Queen of Portugal.
The exhibition space designed by Kuma Architects highlighted the texture of jewels. The ‘beauty of contrast’ was maximized by laying a dull, dark cloth in the background. The background fabric was placed in various ways in each exhibition section, and the audience movement was made to follow soft lighting. Objects ‘Lattice of Light’ and ‘Grid of Shadow’, inspired by the shape of jewels, were also installed in the exhibition hall entrance lobby and rest area.
Reporter Kim Min [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog