In 2017, the “Mastery of an art: Van Cleef & Arpels – High Jewelry and Japanese Crafts” exhibition showcased Japanese and French craftsmanship at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

This event featured around 270 Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry creations and 63 pieces of Japanese craftwork. The exhibition presented the history of the Maison from its founding to the present day and demonstrated how jewelry and the “exquisite artistry” of the Meiji period can be intertwined with contemporary craftwork.

The highlight of the exhibition was the collaboration between the Maison’s art of High Jewelry and the Japanese crafts, also referred to as “exquisite artistry,” which flourished in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Japanese metalwork and ceramics, so realistic that they seemed to have been created by nature itself, and cloisonné enamel work featuring intricate designs, captured the hearts of visitors to the exhibition. The Maison’s High Jewelry creations share many themes with Japanese crafts, such as flowers, birds, animals and butterflies.

These motifs are endowed with a life beyond realism in every respect, including volume, reflection, color and movement. The creation of these pieces requires hundreds of hours of intricate and complex processes performed by highly skilled artisans. This craftsmanship and the time invested in the work come out in the energy embodied in each piece.

The collaboration between Van Cleef & Arpels and contemporary Japanese craftsmen also garnered a great deal of attention.

A work by lacquer artist Shunsho Hattori, “Incense case with paulownia designs,” was displayed alongside the Maison’s Two leaves clip. The maki-e lattice pattern created using the precious wings of the beetle, and the Mystery Set emeralds resonated with each other, transcending the materials.

Another combination of colors embodied the concept of this exhibition: the housing of the “Lady Bird Minaudière” (2017) in a Jindai cedar box realized by Kiyotsugu Nakagawa (holder of an important intangible cultural property, woodcraft).

The Jindai cedar box, created with a woodworking technique that consists of aligning straight grains, is an impressive work. Adorned with geometrical patterns, it produces a fusion between the natural wood color of the Jindai cedar and the colorful Minaudière embellished with a variety of gemstones.

Coming together as one, these two works of contrasting energies created a complementary harmony.

French High Jewelry and Japanese traditional craftsmanship each have their own unique culture and history. By positioning these two contrasting qualities side by side, this exhibition sought not only to highlight their individuality, but also to present their mutual fascination.

The astonishment and delight derived from this discovery attracted a large number of visitors, with attendance at the exhibition exceeding 100,000 people. By revealing an unexpected connection between “craftsmanship” and “beauty” mastered in two very different regions, this exhibition served as a new bridge for cultural exchange between Japan and France.