Current Jewellery Exhibitions
This list of current and forthcoming jewellery exhibitions is provided as a service to our members. We have no means of checking the accuracy of the information, and cannot take responsibility for any mistakes. Please check in advance before visiting an exhibition to avoid disappointment.
Please tell us here if there are any other jewellery exhibitions which we should add to this list, or if anything needs correcting. You can see lists of past exhibitions here.
UK
Chester
Treasure
closing soon
events.westcheshiremuseums.co.ukThe museum’s collections are full of ‘treasures’, but why do we value certain things and want to keep them, hoard them, show them off and hand them down? This exhibition explores the nature of treasure and our relationships with it, showcasing some of the most cherished, rare and valuable artefacts from Cheshire’s past.
5/10/2019 - 22/03/2020
Grosvenor Museum
27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2DD
Monday–Saturday: 10.30am–5pm, Sunday: 1pm–4pm
Admission to the museum is free, however we welcome a suggested donation of £3 per person.
Hove
Misshapes: The Making of Tatty Devine
3/10/2020 - 26/01/2021
Hove Museum & Art Gallery
19 New Church Road, Hove BN3 4AB
Admission free
London
Troy: myth and reality
closing soon
britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/troy-myth-and-realityThe story of a great city, plunged into a 10-year war over the abduction of the most beautiful woman in the world, is irresistibly dramatic and tragic. This allure has sent adventurers and archaeologists in quest of the lost city, which is now widely believed to have existed. From Helen of Troy's abduction to the deception of the Trojan Horse and the fall of the city, tread the line between myth and reality in this phenomenal new exhibition.
21/11/2019 - 8/03/2020
The British Museum
Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Daily: 10.00-17.30, Fridays: 10.00-20.30
Adults £20-22
London
Misshapes: The Making of Tatty Devine
closing soon
greenwichunigalleries.co.uk/misshapesTatty Devine’s founders Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine set up a market stall in Spitalfields Market in the late 1990s. Together they challenged jewellery conventions and in 2001 a trip to New York led them to discover laser cut acrylic. At that point, a disruptive technology laser cutting unleashed a whole new set of creative possibilities and ideas. On their return to the UK, they invested in a laser cutting machine, going on to create personality-packed jewellery much loved and still culturally relevant 20 years on. Their DIY, unknowingly anarchic approach resonated with industry and public who were hungry for something different from the commercialised, mass-produced products on offer. Turning throwaway disposable objects like scraps of leather and guitar plectrums into jewellery not only landed the brand in Vogue magazine but also in the hearts of loyal fans all over the world. Creativity, self-expression and hand-making are at the heart of their work. Tatty Devine’s statement jewellery is constantly ahead of the curve—able to tell stories and generate conversation. Collaborations have allowed the duo to become markers of the time they were made in: Tatty Devine have worked closely with musicians, artists, designers and brands from Gilbert and George to Belle and Sebastian—all people they feel closely connected to. This exhibition features over 100 pieces from the past 20 years, from the early leather cuffs and piano belts to giant two-metre versions of their ‘greatest hits’ including a lobster, their magpies and a huge banana, alongside sketchbooks, photos, flyers, and two newly commissioned films.
28/02/2020 - 31/03/2020
Stephen Lawrence Gallery
10 Stockwell Street, London SE10 9BD
Tuesday-Friday: 11am-5pm, Saturday: 11am-4pm
Admission free
Wrexham
Misshapes: The Making of Tatty Devine
10/07/2020 - 13/09/2020
Tŷ Pawb
Market Street, Wrexham, Wales LL13 8BY
Admission free
EUROPE EX-UK
FRANCE
Lyon
Le monde en tête
Headdresses from around the World
closing soon
exposition-lemondeentete.fr/enFor more than 20 years, Antoine de Galbert built a collection of more than 500 headdresses from outside Europe. Given to the Musée des Confluences in 2017, these objects are windows onto an amazing cultural diversity. In the museum's largest room, the exhibition invites you to freely explore, like a stroll through a garden, around 20 or so tables that group the headdresses together by theme, such as feathers of the Amazon, wedding headdresses and symbols of power, in order to understand their uses.
6/06/2019 - 15/03/2020
Musée des Confluences
86 quai Perrache, 69002 Lyon
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11 am to 7 pm; Thursday 11 am to 10 pm; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10 am to 7 pm
Adults €30, concessions €15
GERMANY
Halle
Ringe der Macht
Rings of Power
lda-lsa.de/aktuelles/meldung/datum/2019/11/13/ringe_der_macht
Rings in the form of magic rings can not only have power themselves, they have always been and are important symbols for a wide variety of messages. The rediscovery and decoding of the mysterious, medieval inscription ring of Paussnitz offers the occasion to place these powerful rings in the centre of this new exhibition. Around 250 selected exhibits, from 30 lenders from Germany, Denmark, England, France, Hungary, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in 500 square meters of exhibition space, illustrate the cosmos of powerful rings since the Paleolithic Age. An impressive central installation visualises the ideas and beliefs of the Middle Ages based on the properties of the Paussnitz ring. The exhibition also unites Germany's most famous inscription rings with the famous Coventry Ring, a gold inscription ring from the late 15th century from the British Museum in London. These outstanding pieces illustrate the magic of the rings of the Middle Ages. Arm reliquaries from Halberstadt, Hochelten and Hildesheim invite you to immerse yourself in the world of belief of the ring bearers. The show presents a spectacular panorama of rings of power, from the oldest known finger rings from the Moravian Pavlov (approx. 35,000 to 24,000 before today) via the golden arm rings of the Bronze Age princes of Central Germany and the Torques of the Celts to the ONE RING from Tolkien's novels, who drew from a long tradition. Amulet rings and insignia illuminate spiritual and secular facets of power up to the ideal idea of the ring as a pledge of love. A very special highlight of the exhibition is the approximately 3,500 year old, recently discovered bronze hand from Prêles (Canton of Bern). This oldest bronze sculpture of a human body part in Central Europe is presented for the first time outside Switzerland. Another highlight is the surprisingly large and almost 7 kilogram Celtic ring from Trichtingen (Baden-Württemberg). As well as the legendary finger ring of St. Elisabeth, which she received from her husband as a gift and whose stone is said to have cracked in two at the moment of his death.
15/11/2019 - 1/06/2020
Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte
Richard-Wagner-Straße 9, 06114 Halle (Saale)
Tuesday - Friday: 9.00 – 17.00, Saturday - Sunday: 10.00–18.00
Adults €8, Concessions €6
Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz
Süsse Verführung
Sweet seduction
closing soon
gablonzer-industrie.de/ausstellungFashion jewellery and more from the treasure chests of the Gablonz Industries. The current special exhibition transports visitors into the sparkling world of fashion jewellery. Attractive jewellery in up-to-the-minute colours and designs offers something to suit every individual taste and is sure to enchant every guest.
21/10/2019 - 6/03/2020
Haus der Gablonzer Industrie
Neue Zeile 11, 87600 Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz
Mo - Fr: 09:30 - 12:00, Mo - Th: 14:00 - 17:00
Admission free
Mannheim
Javagold – Pracht und Schönheit Indonesiens
Java Gold - Splendour and Beauty of Indonesia
rem-mannheim.de/ausstellungen
Java - deep rainforests, dangerous volcanoes and mysterious temples. For over 1000 years, the Indonesian island world was home to powerful Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms. Timelessly beautiful jewellery and cult objects announce today their long past glory and artistry. They are made from the material that has been captivating people for millennia - gold. This exhibition presents around 400 unique treasures as a fascinating kaleidoscope of Hindu and Buddhist craftsmanship. Golden masterpieces such as rings, bracelets and chokers as well as impressive tiaras were often reserved for specific groups, strata or life phases. They tell of a society in which power, religious claims and beauty were expressed through gold objects. The filigree decorated gems always have ritual or social significance in addition to their decorative function. They can be read off the varied motifs. Most of the treasures from a private collection can be seen in public for the first time.
15/09/2019 - 13/04/2020
Reiss-Engelhorn Museums
Museum Weltkulturen D5, 68159 Mannheim
Daily: 11:00 - 18:00
Adults €13.50, Concessions €7.50
Munich
Helga Zahn. Schmuck. Unikat und Serie
pinakothek.de/ausstellungen/helga-zahn-schmuck-unikat-und-serieHelga Zahn was one of the leading jewellery artists in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s, but was born in Germany in 1936. In 1957, she exchanged her home town for the bustling life of London, where she made her start in the "swinging sixties" and the emergence of the "pop art movement". She was one of the mainstays of "studio jewellery", a post-World War II movement that understood jewellery as a novel and independent art form. The exhibition, conceived by the Neue Sammlung, for the first time honours this almost forgotten jewellery artist and shows a large part of her rich oeuvre.
3/03/2020 - 31/05/2020
Pinakothek der Moderne
Barer St. 40, München
Daily: 10:00 - 18:00, Thursday until 20:00
Adults €10, Concessions €7
Pforzheim
Exotic Formosa – Contemporary Jewellery from Taiwan, created by Ruan Weng Mong
schmuckmuseum.deThe goldsmith and sculptor Ruan Weng Mong is a mediator between different worlds: born in Taiwan with Chinese-Japanese roots, and trained as a goldsmith in Germany, plus serving as President of the Goldsmiths’ Guild in Nuremberg for many years, he is at home on several continents. His artworks elegantly wed his sensibility for materials and his appreciation of (gem)stones to clear-cut shapes that connote both a European and an Asian formal idiom. While working as an instructor and lecturer in Taiwan, he was one of the first to introduce international contemporary jewellery to Taiwan, and contributed towards paving the way for the inspirational, top-level international exchange of ideas that is taking place there nowadays. The exhibition will be showcasing about 140 of his works in the genres of jewellery, sculpture and graphic art, created over a period of more than 40 years. This is the first time that contemporary Taiwanese-Asian jewellery and artistically created objects will be shown in Germany.
27/03/2020 - 28/06/2020
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
Pforzheim
Max Ernst – The Würth Collection
schmuckmuseum.deMax Ernst (1891–1976) ranks among the most inspiring and influential artists of the 20th century. His oeuvre’s charismatic appeal has lasted well beyond his era. Parts of his biographical notes are fictitious, and he always remained ironically detached from his own works and techniques. His pictures feature figurative elements as well as imaginary forms, and his works have been created from mixed media. Max Ernst was a crossover artist and a master of the realm of “in-betweenness”. Like his life, his oeuvre is characterised by disjunctions and thematic changes, both of which combine to express his visionary, sceptical concept of the world. In the Würth Collection, Max Ernst occupies a central artistic position. A unique collection of books and graphics constitutes the core of the Max Ernst section, making this surrealist’s almost unsurpassably diverse, seemingly boundless visual universe experientially accessible, starting from his very first creations all the way through to his fantastic later works. Several of the artist’s sculptures will also be displayed in this exhibition. In addition, the Jewellery Museum will be showcasing selected pieces from its own collection to enter into dialog with Max Ernst’s artworks.
18/07/2020 - 17/01/2021
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
Pforzheim
Wismar, Hasselt, Itami – Three Countries, Three Cities, Three Schools
schmuckmuseum.deOver the course of the past few years, three innovative training institutions specialising in jewellery design have evolved in these three cities, located in Germany, Belgium and Finland. In this exhibition, the Jewellery Museum will be spotlighting new aspects of international contemporary jewellery – created in places that don’t rank among the focal points of the jewellery scene but for this reason are breeding grounds for the development of refreshingly new approaches to art jewellery.
17/05/2021 - 26/07/2021
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
GREECE
Athens
A History of Contemporary Czech Jewelry Design
lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.grA survey of artistic jewellery making from the Czech Republic with the most prominent artists, from the 1930’s generation up to Generation Z. The exhibition explores traditional crafts and fine arts for the making of new sculptural jewellery, up to the most recent creations by people born between 1995 and 2010 who are true digital natives. From the use of glass to inspiration by abstract exposure to the internet, social networks and mobile systems, the show is curated by an expert on studio jewellery Julie Bergmann.
22/04/2020 – 22/06/2020
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
Kallisperi 12 & Karyatidon Str., Acropolis 11742, Athens
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9.00 – 15.00, Wednesday & Saturday: 9.00 – 21.00
Adults €5, Concessions €4
ITALY
Milan
Van Cleef & Arpels: il Tempo, la Natura, l’Amore
closing soon
palazzorealemilano.itThis is the first Italian show to present the extraordinary jewels, watches and precious objects made by Van Cleef & Arpels since its foundation in Paris in 1906 to today. The exhibition celebrates the unique ability of jewels to unite eternity and ephemeral, love and manufacture, beauty and art. The exhibition is divided into three sections: Time, Nature, Love.
30/11/2019 - 23/02/2020
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Duomo, 12, Milano
Monday 2:30 - 7:30 pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 09:30 am - 7:30 pm, Thursday & Saturday 09:30 am - 10:30 pm
Admittance FREE
Milan
Stile Milano. Storie di Eleganza
costumemodaimmagine.miThis exhibition, set up in the new wing on the first floor of this historic building, will illustrate the relationship between dress and jewellery from the 1950s to the present day. Each city has its own style and Milan, with its sobriety, has defined a refined elegance, made of impeccable garments and precious details, the result of high craftsmanship, to become the undisputed capital of fashion: Stile Milano tells how this happened. In addition to targeted loans, the exhibition presents some clothes belonging to the Museum's heritage which document the history of Milanese tailoring.
21/01/2020 - 29/03/2020
Palazzo Morando
Via Sant'Andrea, 6 - 20121 Milano
Tuesday - Sunday, 9.00 - 13.00, 14.00 - 17.30
Admittance FREE
Rome
Maria Paola Ranfi. Gioiello intimo colloquio
museivillatorlonia.it/enThis exhibition consist of a selection of over 60 specimens of jewels and sculptures made of lost wax in gold, bronze, silver and precious stones with rare and very particular cuts by the artist Maria Paola Ranfi, from the nineties until today. Maria Paola Ranfi's jewels, particularly in tune with the style and atmosphere of the Casina delle Civette that hosts them, are real "sculptures to wear" as she herself likes to define them. Elegance, balance and movement characterise the important styles that, with great craftsmanship, Maria Paola Ranfi always manages to harmonise with the bodies with which they are destined to create an "intimate conversation".
21/01/2020 - 29/03/2020
Musei di Villa Torlonia - Casina delle Civette
Via Nomentana 70 - 00161 Roma
Tuesday-Sunday: 9.00 - 19.00
Adults €11, Concessions €9
Vicenza
Arte Preziosa: Le sculture gioiello di Salvador Dalí
Precious Art: the jewellery sculptures of Salvador Dalí
extended to 13 April 2020
museodelgioiello.it/enThis exhibition presents a selection of works of art that aim to convey the artistic diversity of Salvador Dalí and his passionate attempts to express himself in space, in three dimensions. It is divided into three sections and consists of 18 sculptures produced between 1949 and 1979: the Dalí d’Or, the jewelled sculptures and the silver sculptures. There are 12 works in the Dalí d’Or collection, ten of which displayed at the exhibition, which Dalí produced from pure gold in the late 1960s using his collection of Dalí d’Or coins. The Dalí d’Or-Objets Montés were created to emulate royalty in all its excess and splendour and include magical mirrors, pendants with serpent motifs and emblems in honour of the sun. The jewelled sculptures pay tribute to Dalí’s most important iconographic images, like the ballerinas, the angels and the watch. They are made from 18-carat gold and encrusted with precious stones, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Each work of art is mounted on a translucent rock crystal base and signed in gold by Dalí. The silver sculptures form part of a limited edition series and include the ‘Profile of Time’, which echoes the famous 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory in which the melted watch appeared for the first time.
7/09/2019 – 13/04/2020
Museo del Gioiello, Italy
Piazza dei Signori, 36100 Vicenza
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Adults €10, Concessions €8
MONACO
Monaco
Chaumet en Majesté. Joyaux de souveraines depuis 1780
grimaldiforum.com/en/eventsFrom July 12 to August 28, 2019, Chaumet will present at the Grimaldi Forum an exhibition devoted to the art of the diadem, this cult jewel, a symbol of power and sovereignty that has become the symbol of the sublimation of femininity. Placed under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, this event will highlight outstanding women, empresses, queens and princesses of the European courts, as well as the jewels created for them by Chaumet for 240 years. The curation was placed under the responsibility of Stéphane Bern, a media personality, journalist and writer, along with Christophe Vachaudez, a jewel historian, both specialists in the Royal Courts. Separated into six major themes, the exhibition will take you on a journey into the heart of the creation and symbolism of head jewellery. Based around Chaumet’s rich heritage collections, but also on the generous participation of prestigious museums, great European families and many private collections, this unique exhibition will be a hymn to the splendour of Parisian jewellery from the 18th century to the present day.
12/07/2019 - 28/08/2020
Grimaldi Forum
10 Av. Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco
Daily 10 am to 8 pm, Thursday until 10 pm
Adults €6 (advance booking)
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
Jewels!
closing soon
hermitage.nl/en/The Hermitage’s fabulous jewellery collection is one of its greatest treasures. Over the centuries it has become the repository of thousands of precious pieces. In the autumn of 2019, hundreds of them will travel to the Netherlands to feature in Jewels! Visitors will encounter flamboyant female rulers like Elizabeth of Russia and Catherine the Great, but also grand dukes and noble families of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. They had their portraits painted by leading artists and on special occasions they wore dazzling gowns and ensembles set off by carefully selected bijoux. Jewels were a statement of identity and a demonstration of taste, breeding and wealth. Occasionally, they might also be designed to provoke or contain hidden symbolism. They were ordered from European jewellery firms like Boucheron or Cartier, master goldsmiths like Claude Ballin or, of course, from Fabergé, Goldsmith by Special Appointment to the Imperial Crown. The exhibits will reflect the fashions of four centuries: baroque, rococo, neoclassical, empire, art nouveau and modern, also from the 21st century.
14/09/2019 - 15/03/2020
Hermitage Amsterdam
Amstel 51, Amsterdam
10 am - 5 pm
Adults €18
Apeldoorn
Een tijd van zien, 40 Jaar Beppe Kessler
A time for seeing, 40 year retrospective of Beppe Kessler
closing soon
coda-apeldoorn.nlLook, see, discover. That is the basis of everything that the artist Beppe Kessler makes - an open eye for adventure. At Beppe Kessler there is always an extremely fruitful interaction between making the big and the small work: often one influences the other. Kessler regularly uses painting techniques in her jewellery and vice versa. All of Beppe Kessler's work is essentially sculptural. She makes no distinction between autonomous and functional objects: she is a draftsman who embroiders, a weaver who paints, a woodworker who makes jewellery; someone for whom choosing is not a choice. Beppe Kessler's work is modest, searching, suggestive. They are not aspects that dominate in today's hyper-communicative society. Kessler makes pieces that demand attention and peace; not only during the making, but also from the person looking at the result. The title of this exhibition comes from a poem by K. Schippers and not only refers to the artist's long-term career, but also serves as a call to the visitor to look, see, discover.
3/11/2019 - 1/03/2020
CODA museum
Vosselmanstraat 299, 7311 CL Apeldoorn
Tuesday - Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm
Adults €10
SPAIN
Barcelona
Picasso and the artist's jewellery
bcn.cat/museupicasso/en/exhibitionsFor Pablo Picasso, jewellery was the most personal ways of expressing himself. These objects, usually intended for the people closest to him, were coveted as treasures that he refused to reproduce in large quantities or even exhibit. It would be necessary to wait until the late 1960s to see a series for sale. For the artist, these objects were for sure something much more than just ornaments. The jewel has always been endowed with extraordinary expressive potential, sometimes a talisman, for others, a charm. The jewel is impregnated with this magic of intimacy. This exhibition will present a selection of works from one of the most important international collections of artist jewellery. From surrealism to contemporary productions, from André Derain to Niki de Saint-Phalle, to Miquel Barceló, Lucio Fontana and Louise Bourgeois, the collection of jewellery gathered together is an example of diversity and masterpieces.
8/05/2020 - 13/09/2020
Museu Picasso
c/ Montcada, 15-23 - 08003 Barcelona
Tuesday to Sundays, 9am to 7pm, Thursday 9am to 9.30pm
Adults €6.50, concessions €4.50
Madrid
"The Other Treasure": The Cases for the Dauphin's Treasure
museodelprado.esVisitors to the Museum have the chance to appreciate the exceptional group of 101 cases which, together with the 23 on display in the Dauphin’s Treasure gallery, comprise one of the most complete holdings of its kind in the world, with examples from the 16th to the 18th centuries. These cases were designed to protect the valuable and unique objects in the Treasure, for which reason each one has a diff erent shape. They have wooden cores and are lined with diff erent materials. Most of the cases are covered on the outside with fi ne leather decorated with dry stamping and gilt tooling of primarily heraldic motifs, particularly the emblems of the Grand Dauphin. Other cases are covered in costly fabrics such as velvet.
18/02/2020 - 13/09/2020
Museo Nacional del Prado
Calle Ruiz de Alarcón 23. Madrid. 28014
Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Adults €15, concessions €7.50
AMERICAS
CANADA
Montreal
Avant-garde Montrealers. Jewellery, Glass and Ceramics as Envisioned by Gallerists Jocelyne Gobeil, Elena Lee and Barbara Silverberg
closing soon
mbam.qc.ca/en/exhibitionsThe Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is dedicating its Design Lab to three Quebec gallery owners who used their expertise to ensure glass, ceramics and jewellery become recognized as fully fledged artistic disciplines. Bringing together 60 of these works – which the Museum now proudly boasts in its collection – Avant-garde Montrealers attests to the vast creative potential of jewellery, glass and ceramics and pays tribute to these audacious women and their resolutely contemporary vision of these practices.
2/04/2019 – 22/03/2020
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
2189 Bishop Street, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2E8
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Wednesday, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Adults $24
Toronto, ON
Treasures of a Desert Kingdom
closing soon
rom.on.ca/en/exhibitionsAlluring jewellery, lavish tents and canopies, vibrant paintings, and opulent decorative arts tell stories of kingship, strategic alliances, the role of women and life at court. Amassed over the course of nearly four centuries, these treasures reflect the history and artistic legacy of the Rathore dynasty, one of the longest continuous royal lineages in the world, that ruled this desert kingdom until India’s independence in 1947. The exhibition features masterpieces drawn from the collection of the former royal family, most of which are on display outside their palace setting for the very first time. While the stunning objects highlight India’s multifaceted past, they reveal a lasting cosmopolitan culture that was sustained by a delicate balance between local and external influences, and tradition and modernity.
21/09/2019 – 23/02/2020
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6
Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
Adults $32, Concessions $21, $28
Toronto, ON
Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa
closing soon
agakhanmuseum.org/exhibitions/caravans-of-goldThe exhibition draws on recent archaeological discoveries, showcasing fragments excavated in major African trading centres. These “fragments in time” are displayed alongside stunning works of art from around the world that invite us to imagine the fragments as they once were, to reconsider treasures from the Western canon, and to see the past and present in a new light. It transforms long-standing narratives about the medieval world and fills a critical gap in our understanding of world history.
21/09/2019 – 23/02/2020
Aga Khan Museum
77 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1K1
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm; Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Adults $20, Concessions $12, $15
USA
Athens, GA
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection
georgiamuseum.org/exhibitA celebration of beauty, this exhibition features more than 60 objects, spanning over 30 years of Tiffany’s prolific career. One of America’s most renowned artists, Louis Comfort Tiffany worked in nearly all the media available to artists and designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — glass, ceramic, metalwork, jewellery and painting. Tiffany’s technical brilliance in a wide variety of media enabled him to convey his awe of the natural world through a range of objects, from common household items to one-of-a-kind masterpieces. He earned international acclaim for his artistic output, receiving prestigious awards in exhibitions across Europe and the United States. His work was enthusiastically collected by art museums and private collectors throughout his career, and continues to be highly sought after today. This exhibition, focusing on Tiffany’s magnificent stained-glass windows, floral vases, lamps and accessories, revels in the artistry and craftsmanship of the Tiffany works from Chicago’s distinguished Richard H. Driehaus Collection, highlighting masterworks never before presented in a comprehensive exhibition.
1/02/2020 – 10/05/2020
Georgia Museum of Art
90 Carlton Street, Athens, Georgia 30602
Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am — 5pm, Thurs, 10am — 9pm; Sun, 1 — 5pm
Admittance FREE
Boston, MA
Boston Made. Arts and Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork
closing soon
mfa.org/exhibitions/boston-madeBold colour combinations of gemstones and enamels, foliate motifs, and designs inspired by historical styles, often with a certain glitziness—that is what defined the “Boston look” of Arts and Crafts jewellery and metalwork. Beginning as a reaction against the dehumanising effects of industrialisation, the international Arts and Crafts movement spurred a renaissance of handcraftsmanship in Boston at the turn of the 20th century. As part of this movement, the city quickly emerged as one of the most active and influential artistic jewellery-making and metalworking communities in the nation. “Boston Made: Arts and Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork” presents the story of this community over a 30-year period, from its inception at the beginning of the 20th century to the stock market crash of 1929 that signaled its decline. “Boston Made” is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on the Arts and Crafts metalsmiths in Boston and highlights the contributions of newly empowered women artists like Josephine Hartwell Shaw and Elizabeth Copeland, among others. While adhering to the ideas and ideals of the international Arts and Crafts movement, Boston artists developed a signature aesthetic that set their work apart from the broader movement. “Boston Made” brings together more than 75 works—including jewellery, tableware, decorative accessories, and design drawings—that illuminate the passions and philosophies of this interwoven community of jewellery-makers and metalsmiths. Among the notable works on view are a scroll brooch (about 1920) by Frank Gardner Hale, studded with gemstones and embellished with gold scrolls; a jewelled casket (about 1929) by Edward Everett Oakes; and a necklace (1910–18) by Josephine Hartwell Shaw. Arts and Crafts was a philosophy as much as an artistic movement, looking to the pre-industrial past for design and lifestyle guidance. Design was more important than opulence, and materials were selected for their aesthetic properties, rather than for their intrinsic value. These ideas melded well with Boston’s progressive intellectual community of the early 20th century. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated book from MFA Publications (November 2018).
17/11/2018 – 29/03/2020
Museum of Fine Arts
Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Saturday – Tuesday, 10:00 am – 4:45 pm; Wednesday - Friday, 10:00am - 9:45 pm
$25 - Adult, $23 Concessions, Free Children 17 and under
Bryn Athyn, PA
Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt
glencairnmuseum.org/exhibitionsThe ancient Egyptians created stunning jewellery in a wide variety of materials. This exhibition of jewellery in the Museum's collection will explore how it was used by both the living and the dead to adorn, to protect, and to express devotion to the divine.
29/02/2020 – 1/11/2020
Glencairn Museum
1001 Cathedral Road, PO Box 757, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
Tuesday-Friday with 2:30 pm guided tour or by appointment; Weekends 1:00 – 4:30 pm, by donation, no appointment necessary
Adults $10, Concessions $8
Brockton, MA
Serious Bling: Radical Jewelry Makeover – The Artist Project
fullercraft.org/event/serious-blingRadical Jewelry Makeover (RJM) is a global recycling project that spotlights gold mining’s devastating impacts and the criticality of sustainable jewelry making practices. Its thriving offshoot, The Artists Project, provides opportunities for professional artists to engage with RJM by creating a series of work using RJM donated jewelry. Through their participation, the artists encourage honest conversations about the difficulties facing jewelers who strive for ethical studio practices that curtail damage to the environment and human health.
15/02/2020 – 5/04/2020
Fuller Craft Museum
455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Adults $10, Seniors $8, Students $5. Free Children 12 and under
Brockton, MA
Striking Gold: Fuller at Fifty
fullercraft.org/event/striking-gold-fuller-at-50/In honour of its esteemed 50-year history, Fuller Craft presents the exhibition 'Striking Gold'. This invitational exhibition marks the institution’s “golden anniversary” as it probes the storied history of gold as an artistic material as well as its cultural, historical, and political associations. The inclusion of gold in the selected works reveals clear intention and purpose, rather than being used for purely decorative effect. In each case gold serves as the subject, as well as a material property of the work.
7/09/2019 – 5/04/2020
Fuller Craft Museum
455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Adults $10, Seniors $8, Students $5. Free Children 12 and under
Charlestown, SC
A Return to the Grand Tour: Micromosaic Jewels from the Collection of Elizabeth Locke
gibbesmuseum.org/exhibitionsMicromosaics arrived at their height of pictorial perfection from the late 18th to the mid 19th centuries. These exquisitely crafted plaques, which contain up to 1,400 delicately shaded tiles of glass per square inch, were sold to travellers on their Grand Tour through Italy. Made into jewellery, boxes, and paper weights and sold as easily carried mementoes, micromosaics passed out of fashion toward the end of the 19th century and are now a lost art. This exhibition features 92 brilliant examples from the private collection of Elizabeth Locke.
17/01/2020 – 3/05/2020
the Gibbes Museum of Art
135 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
Monday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm, Wednesday: 10am – 8pm, Sunday: 1pm - 5pm
Adults $12, Concessions $10.
Chicago, IL
Adornment: Jewelry of South Asia’s Nomadic Cultures
artic.edu/exhibitions/9362/adornmentDuring the 19th and early 20th centuries, cattle-herding nomads from tribes as geographically and culturally diverse as the Ersari and Kuchi of Afghanistan, the Balti of Pakistan, and the Rabari and Ahir of India moved seasonally across Central and South Asia in search of fresh pastures. Although they carried few belongings, these travelers developed a material legacy of adornment practices embodied in the textiles and finely crafted jewellery they wore and bartered, practices that continued as they settled into modest villages over time. This focused exhibition, made up of promised works from the collection of Barbara and David Kipper, presents a sampling of these objects, from ornate headdresses to simple stud earrings, lending insight into their cultural legacy.
2/11/2019 – 9/01/2021
Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Adults $10, Seniors $8, Students $5. Free Children 12 and under
Evanston, IL
Stunning Stories in Native American Jewelry
mitchellmuseum.org/exhibitsFor thousands of years, artisans have expressed their cultural stories in a wide range of jewellery: showing off local and prized trade materials, expressing traditional symbols, and perfecting new techniques and designs adapted from other cultures. Native and non-Native peoples have cherished Native American made jewellery not just for its intrinsic beauty, but especially for the cultural stories and symbolism the jewellery shares. It can be worn everyday or for special events and rights of passage. It often represents social status, identity, assimilation, as well as solidarity with cultural preservation. Native American jewellery is even worn to embody the powers of animals and deities and remind us of our internal strengths. This exhibition displays over 80 exquisite pieces from the museum’s collection and local collectors. The exhibit also shares the multi-faceted stories each piece tells about the preservation of culture, histories, and spirituality in the face of cross-cultural assimilation.
opened 28/09/2019
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sunday: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Adults $5, Concessions $3.
New York, NY
Jewelry for America
metmuseum.org/exhibitionsSpanning three hundred years, Jewelry for America explores the evolution of jewellery in this country, from the early eighteenth century to the present day. Its five chronological sections reveal changes in styles, materials, and techniques, all woven into a sociohistorical narrative. Some one hundred examples from The Met collection — including recently acquired and rarely exhibited objects — are displayed.
10/06/2019 - 5/04/2020
The Met Fifth Avenue
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028
Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday and Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
$25 for adults; $17 for seniors; $12 for students
New York, NY
45 Stories in Jewelry. 1947 to Now
madmuseum.org/exhibition/45-stories-jewelryMAD was an early advocate of jewellery as a form of artistic expression. Its 1956 inaugural exhibition, 'Craftsmanship in a Changing World', gave many Americans their first exposure to metalsmiths who were challenging the norms of conventional jewellery design and creating works rooted in sculptural experimentation. Because of the support of MAD and like-minded institutions, makers, and collectors around the world, the concept of jewellery as an art form took hold and flourished. To date, the Museum has presented more than 150 exhibitions featuring art jewellery and there are more than 950 pieces in the Museum’s permanent collection. This exhibition highlights the Museum of Arts and Design’s contributions to the field’s advancements and contextualizes the bold experimental practices of its most compelling artists within the key historical moments that ultimately broadened the scope and reach of art as a wearable medium.
13/02/2020 - 24/01/2021
Museum of Arts and Design
2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 11001
Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10 am–6 pm; Thu: 10 am–9 pm
$18 for adults; $14 for seniors; $12 for students
Tacoma, WA
Take 9/Reflections on Glass Jewelry
museumofglass.org/take-9Glass has long played a role in personal adornment because of its decorative qualities. But the nine internationally acclaimed artists featured in this exhibition—Nirit Dekel (Israel), Don Friedlich (USA), Teri Greeves (Kiowa)(USA), Mieke Groot (Netherlands), Timothy Horn (Australia, working in USA), Paolo Marcolongo (Italy), Patricia Niemann (German, working in Scotland), Bernhard Schobinger (Switzerland), and Joyce Scott (USA)—have chosen instead to focus on the symbolic and metaphoric qualities of glass to make strong social, political, and cultural statements. Glass embodies the paradoxical ability to be transparent and opaque, fragile and strong, alluring and hazardous—traits that are often associated with the human condition. The artists represented here work with glass as their primary or recurring material; each, however, takes a very different approach to the medium. They use a variety of masterful techniques to present unique perspectives that are informed by their diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds. While some works are designed for the human body, others serve as oversized metaphors that challenge accepted norms for adornment. The resulting objects are compelling and of enduring interest.
opening April 2021
Museum of Glass
1801 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402
Wednesday - Saturday: 10am–5pm, Sunday: 12–5pm
Adults: $17, Concessions $5-15
Washington, DC
Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa
8/04/2020 - 29/11/2020
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20560
Daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission is free.