Exhibition of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery and Japanese crafts – in pictures

Van Cleef & Arpels is bringing an exhibition of high jewellery to Saudi Arabia for the first time. All photos: Van Cleef & Arpels

At the heart of the exhibition is the celebration of craftsmanship. In Japan, skilled artisans, such as Moriguchi Kunihiko, who specialises in yuzen-dyed kimonos, are regarded as Living National Treasures. Their work is shown side-by-side with iconic Van Cleef & Arpels designs.

The brand’s famous Maison d’Hortense cage, which was commissioned in the 1930s by an Indian prince for his pet tree frog, and produced from yellow gold, brown agate, cabochon-cut rubies, sapphires and lapis lazuli, is on show at the Mastery of an Art exhibition.

The maison’s chief executive Nicolas Bos says that a lot of the flowers depicted in Van Cleef & Arpels’s pieces are in fact inspired by the Japanese aesthetic.

Peacocks are eternalised by both Van Cleef & Arpels and Japanese craftsmen — the bird is reinterpreted through intricate embroidery on a four-panel folding screen from the early 1900s, by Japanese artist Nishimura Sozaemon.

Visitors can see how birds are depicted in both mediums — on brooches, clips and minaudieres by Van Cleef & Arpels, and across a variety of Japanese ceramics and sculptures.

A Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery Set two-leaf clip from 1967 is displayed alongside an incense container designed by Japanese lacquer artist Hattori Shunsho.

Renowned French jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels has partnered with the Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan, with an exhibition titled Mastery of an Art. If you're planning on taking a trip to the cultural hotspot of Kyoto, here's what you can expect to see at the showcase.