Évelyne Possémé

Flowers have long been a source of inspiration for jewelers, many of whom have sought to capture their transient beauty in glittering gemstones and precious metals. In the 17th and 18th centuries, flowers were imitated in enamel or used as motifs for elaborate gemstone bodice ornaments. Brooches, pendants and rings took the form of bouquets or flower baskets. The stylized blooms of the Empire style were followed by the highly naturalistic blossoms of the later 19th century. Flowers continued to flourish in the sinuous shapes of Art Nouveau, the geometric designs of Art Deco and the sculptural simplicity of modernism, with great artists including René Lalique and Georges Fouquet constantly reworking nature’s forms for their style-conscious clientele. Now, contemporary designers such as Claude Lalanne, Lorenz Bäumer and JAR continue to create floral jewelry for today’s trendsetters. The floral pieces in this book have all been selected from the magnificent jewelry collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and range from the 17th century to the present day. Beautifully photographed by renowned photographer Jean-Marie del Moral, these intricate works of art will delight all lovers of jewelry and nature.

The jewellery department at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris comprises some 3,500 pieces and is the only national collection of its kind in France. This book presents bijouterie and joaillerie masterpieces from this high-profile collection which ranges from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period and shines a particular spotlight on the 18th century and the age of Art Nouveau. Daytime or evening jewellery and art jewellery pieces in the form of tiaras, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, hair or tie pins, rings and stomacher brooches illustrate the boundless creativity of designers. The greatest artists are represented: Sandoz, Vever, Falize, Boucheron, Lalique, Fouquet and Gaillard for Art Nouveau, Raymond Templier and Jean Després for Art Deco, Georges Braque, Jean Lurçat, Line Vautrin, Jean Schlumberger, Torun, Dinh Van, Jonemann and Claude Lalanne for the post-war period, and a number of contemporary designers. The collection also features pieces by the great jewellery houses: Cartier, Boucheron, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels and, more recently, JAR. This richly illustrated book accompanies the display in the Galerie des Bijoux at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which features the collection’s highlights.

This is the third book in a series devoted to the splendid jewelry collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Following on from Flora and Fauna, the theme this time is the human figure, perhaps the most intimate and involving of subjects. Jewelry has always been a vehicle for the deepest of human emotions: remembrance, faith, devotion, love, belonging and mourning. The museum’s collection begins in the Byzantine era and ranges through the medieval and Renaissance periods and beyond, with mythological figures and biblical scenes represented on pendants and rings. In the 19th century, René Lalique, Alphonse Fouquet and the Maison Vever produced brooches and necklaces that were the very embodiment of elegant sophistication and technical brilliance, while in the 20th century, artists such as Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti joined jewelers like Jean Lurçat, Line Vautrin and Claude Lalanne in creating works that interpret the body in a deeply personal way. Wonderfully photographed by Jean-Marie del Moral, Figures is packed with striking and witty works of art that will charm all lovers of jewelry.

The animal kingdom has been a source of inspiration for jewelers since the days of antiquity. Chosen for their symbolism, their beauty or their personality, a whole menagerie of creatures has been depicted in gemstones and precious metals, ranging from fantastical dragons, griffins and sphinxes, to wild beasts such as boars and big cats, to the delicate forms of birds, fish and even insects. The 130 pieces in this book have been specially selected from the magnificent jewelry collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and include necklaces and earrings, bracelets and brooches by legendary names such as Boucheron, Falize and Lalique. They stretch from the Renaissance revival of the 19th century to the elegant lines of Art Nouveau and beyond, through to the playful naivety of modernist designs by Jean Lurçat and Line Vautrin. Beautifully photographed by renowned photographer Jean-Marie del Moral, this second title in the series that began with Flora: The Art of Jewelry is packed with clever and witty works of art that will delight all lovers of jewelry and nature.