[Chaumet Exhibition] Chaumet from an Art-Loving Man’s Perspective — A World of Jewelry Art Transcending Time and Space; the Esprit Begun in 1780 Paris @ Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

The Chaumet Exhibition

An exhibition all about Chaumet, seemingly all women. I’d pictured it as an extension of a jewelry store, and could hardly bring myself to go.
Imagining myself standing in a jewelry shop surrounded by dazzling women, I automatically felt my feet refuse to move.*The author of this article is a man.
As the run entered its latter half, reading posts on social media and art blogs, I had to change my mind: “It seems I really must go and see this.”

The brand called “Chaumet (chaumet)” — for me,a man with no connection to or understanding of it, and as for jewelry,a complete amateur — but I organized my thoughts as follows and resolved to go see it.

• A brand with roughly 240 years of history
• Jewelry-making involves design drawings, and there’s an artistic side in that a vast number of them are put on display
• Word that the quality of the works looked high
• The way it was displayed also looked good
• The praise from those around me was high
• A day when you can get original goods → this is key

Entering

Before I could change my mind, I headed to the venue, bought a ticket, and went straight in — and as expected,women made up nearly 90% or more.。An overwhelming sense of being on away turf. What’s more, the atmosphere was clearly different from an ordinary museum exhibition; the crowd felt less like art lovers and more like a swarm of “Instagram girls.”

The jewelry on display was simply dazzling, and I felt the dimly lit galleries of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum filled with a solemn, noble air unlike its usual mood.

With the aim of viewing the jewelry itself, the lighting felt a touch dark, but the brilliance reflecting the light struck the viewer’s eye with a presence stronger than the light source itself.

Even works over 200 years old had a lustrous brilliance and presence that betrayed nothing of their beauty’s age or the history they’d traveled — truly splendid.

There were also works and design drawings conscious of Japonisme, as if conveying the significance of holding this exhibition in Japan.

I realized while viewing that my initial worry — the courage to view alone, a lone man among so many women — had been needless.
Most of the women viewing were absorbed in the Chaumet display, with no room or time to mind their surroundings. Helped by the dim lighting, I never felt anyone’s gaze; as a presence outside women’s field of view, even a man could take it in at leisure. *It’s likely to be crowded just before the run ends.

Paintings

Several paintings were also on show.
The overwhelming one was a portrait of Napoleon. Please see the image below.
Look closely and he’s wearing an almost excessive amount of jewelry.
The sword in his hand is a work by Chaumet’s founder “Nitot,” and the diamond he set into it is the legendary 140-carat (!) diamond known as “Le Régent,” acquired by Philippe, Duke of Orléans. This sword is now said to be held at the Louvre. I wish I’d seen it!

The portrait of Napoleon I’s wife, Joséphine, was also stunning (I couldn’t arrange an image — my apologies).
Sensing the women viewing around Joséphine’s portrait, what was the author thinking…? I found myself drifting into all sorts of daydreams.

Design Drawings

I learned that jewelry in general — not only the Chaumet works on show — is made through a division of labor between a jeweler (gemstone artisan) and a goldsmith (working gold, silver, and so on). And what’s needed in the process before that is the “design drawing.” I also learned that production begins only once this design drawing is complete.

The design drawings, without asserting themselves, seem finished with every excess pared away for the sake of the completed piece.
Quiet, yet as paintings aimed at three-dimensional works, I felt a quiet assertion and became engrossed. A contrast with the actual finished pieces might have been nice, but the presentation, devoted to art display, also showed pride in the drawings’ completeness as design drawings — as if conveying Chaumet’s pride through the works themselves, which was fascinating.

The show featured about 300 works. As artworks transcending the frame of “jewelry,” it was a display of overwhelming power.

At the same time, imagining a woman wearing Chaumet’s works, I felt newly aware of the presence and power that come from wearing fine jewelry.

If a day ever comes when I do for someone what Napoleon did for Joséphine, may Chaumet’s brilliance be there… and on that note I’ll close.

The catalogue was superb.