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
Belfast
Elements
Extended to 4 December 2022
nmni.com/whats-on/elements-exhibitionFrom Actinium to Zirconium, it’s time to get switched on to science with a journey along the periodic table! Get set for an odyssey that will take you from the rocks beneath your feet to the most distant and ancient reaches of the Universe. Everything from microscopic viruses to vast galaxies – and you too – is made from elements. In this spectacular and unique exhibition, the only one of its kind in Europe, you can find out what the elements look like, where they were made, how they occur naturally, how we use them, and why they can be dangerous!
3/07/2014 - 4/12/2022
Ulster Museum
Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB
Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 – 17:00
Edinburgh
The Galloway Hoard: Viking-age Treasure
nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events
The Galloway Hoard brings together the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland. It is of international significance and will transform our understanding of this period of Scottish history. Buried at the beginning of the tenth century, the Hoard comprises in excess of 100 gold, silver and other items, some of which are unique. This exhibition will display the key elements of the hoard, place it in a wider historical context and showcase the conservation and research work which is being undertaken to understand the hoard and its secrets.
29/05/2021 - 12/09/2021
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
Open daily, 10.00 - 16:30
Admission free
London
Thomas Becket: murder and the making of a saint
Ending soon
britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/thomas-becketMarking the 850th anniversary of this dramatic crime, this major exhibition will present Becket's tumultuous journey from a London merchant's son to Archbishop, and from a revered saint in death to a 'traitor' in the eyes of Henry VIII, over 350 years later. Becket was one of the most powerful figures of his time, serving as royal Chancellor and later as Archbishop of Canterbury. Initially a close friend of King Henry II, the two men became engaged in a bitter dispute that culminated in Becket's shocking murder by knights with close ties to the king. Get up close to the man, the murder and the legend through an incredible array of objects associated with Becket, including medieval stained glass, manuscripts, jewelry and sacred reliquaries. It will feature artefacts from the Museum's collection as well as important loans from other major collections from the UK and around the world.
20/05/2021 - 22/08/2021
The British Museum
Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Daily: 10.00-17.30, Fridays: 10.00-20.30
London
Nero. the man behind the myth
britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/nero-man-behind-myth
Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and madness. Drawing on the latest research, this major exhibition questions the traditional narrative of the ruthless tyrant and eccentric performer, revealing a different Nero, a populist leader at a time of great change in Roman society. The exhibition includes military armlets and fashionable jewellery hidden during the attack on Colchester by British tribes led by Boudica - known as the Fenwick Hoard it was discovered in 2014 beneath the floor of a shop on Colchester’s High Street.
27/05/2021 - 24/10/2021
The British Museum
Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Daily: 10.00-17.30, Fridays: 10.00-20.30
London
The Brooch Unpinned: The Goldsmiths’ Company Collection 1961–2021
Ending soon
goldsmiths-centre.org/whats-on‘This exhibition celebrates the art of the brooch and the dynamic relationships it creates – between maker and wearer and between wearer and viewer. It explores a selection of British brooches from the Goldsmiths’ Company’s unique jewellery collection, tracing the evolution of contemporary design in this most wearable and revealing of accessories. From ancient times, a brooch could be an emblem of authority, wealth and power. Before buttons or hooks, a brooch was the only way to fix textile to the body. That relationship with the body, and with textiles, underlines the role of micro-engineering in making a brooch work. Brooches are versatile, can be worn to convey a message, or to spark a conversation. Brooches were at the heart of post-War jewellery design. Wendy Ramshaw referred to the brooch as ‘a portable artform’, and, as exemplified by our latest acquisitions for the Goldsmiths’ Company collection, they continue to fascinate and challenge contemporary makers.
12/04/2021 - 20/08/2021
The Goldsmiths' Centre
42 Britton Street, London, EC1M 5AD
9am - 5pm
Admission FREE
London
Becket 2020. Pilgrim Badge Display
Museum re-opening soon
museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/whats-on/exhibitions/becket20202020 marks an important dual anniversary for the extraordinary figure of Thomas Becket. It will be 850 years since his dramatic murder on the 29th December 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral, and 800 years since his body was moved on the 7th July 1220 from a tomb in the crypt of the cathedral into a glittering shrine. While St Thomas Becket is an internationally renowned figure, his connections to London are rather less well-known. For over 300 years, Londoners flocked to Becket's shrine in Canterbury often returning with a pewter badge as a keepsake. Hundreds of these pilgrim souvenirs have been recovered from London excavations and mudlarking activity along the Thames and the museum holds the largest collection in the country. The Museum of London will use some of its pilgrim badges, which is the largest collection in the country, to illustrate St Thomas Becket’s extraordinary life and his connections to the capital. Undertake your own mini-pilgrimage through the museum’s Medieval London Gallery as you discover more about Thomas Becket the man and his early life in London, his exile and murder, the impact of his death and rise in miracle cures and finally, Becket’s shrine and the Jubilee of the Martyrdom in 1220.
14/02/2020 -
Museum of London
150 London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5HN
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Admission FREE
London
Bags: Inside Out
vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/bags
From rucksacks to despatch boxes, Birkin bags to Louis Vuitton luggage, Bags: Inside Out will explore the style, function, design and craftsmanship of the ultimate accessory. Bags project bold statements to the outside world whilst concealing our most treasured belongings. Featuring around 300 objects, varying in scale from tiny purses held on a fingertip to luxurious travel trunks, the exhibition explores the function, status and craftsmanship of these highly covetable objects from the 16th century to today.
20/12/2020 - 16/01/2022
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Daily: 10.00 – 17.40, Friday: 10.00 – 22.00
Adults £12
London
Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution
vam.ac.uk
This is the first major exhibition devoted to the international prominence of the legendary Russian goldsmith and the importance of his little-known London branch. With a focus on Fabergé’s Edwardian high society clientele, it will shine a light on his triumphs in Britain as well as a global fascination with the joyful opulence of his creations. Showcasing over 200 objects across three main sections, the exhibition will tell the story of Carl Fabergé, the man, and his internationally recognised firm that symbolised Russian craftsmanship and elegance. Unknown to many, it will explore the Anglo-Russian nature of his enterprise with his only branch outside of Russia opening in London in 1903.
20/11/2021 - 8/05/2022
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Daily: 10.00 – 17.40, Friday: 10.00 – 22.00
Adults £12
EUROPE EX-UK
BELGIUM
Antwerp
Masterpieces in Miniature. Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection
Ending soon
divaantwerp.be/en/visit/eventsThis exhibition is an ode to Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert’s impressive legacy and a chance for the public to admire these treasures from close to. As a visitor you are plunged into the world of the Gilberts and their dazzling collection. You will make the acquaintance of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert and come to understand their collecting habits, travel with them as they go in search of exceptional craftsmanship and beauty and encounter famous historical figures such as the tsarina Catharine the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Victoria. This is the first time items from all categories of the Gilbert Collection will go on display on the European continent. Some objects, such as a 16th-century partridge cup, are exclusive to the Antwerp exhibition.
5/03/2021 - 15/08/2021
DIVA
Suikerrui 17-19, Antwerpen - BE - 2000
Thursday to Tuesday, 10.00 - 18.00
Adults €12, concessions €7, free under 12
FINLAND
Helsinki
Man, Machine and Jewellery. Björn Weckström
didrichsenmuseum.fi/bjornweckstrom?lang=en
Björn Weckström's 85th anniversary exhibition presents the artist´s two contrasting worlds – impressive sculptures in bronze with mythological themes, artifacts in stone and glass, as well as jewellery in gold and silver produced for Lapponia Jewelry. The sculptures are from the artist´s collection and the jewellery section of the exhibition is prepared in collaboration with Kalevala Koru, owner of Lapponia Jewelry.
11/09/2021 - 30/01/2022
Didrichsen Art Museum
Kuusilahdenkuja 1, 00340, Helsinki
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 - 18:00
FRANCE
Paris
Jean Vendome, Artist Jeweler
Exhibition extended to 28 August
lecolevancleefarpels.comJean Vendome, an adventurous creator and true artist, created his own world of art. He bucked fashion trends with his own personal and pioneering style, which means that his pieces have personality, but are also visually balanced owing to their proportionality with the golden ratio. Simple yet sophisticated, powerful yet intricate, eccentric yet well-designed, constructed and deconstructed, Jean Vendome’s jewellery is emotional and never rational. In order to be appreciated fully, it must be loved and understood, as it is the jewellery that chooses the wearer. The private collections on display will emphasise the visionary side of his creations. 130 pieces will be on show, including Aléna Caillois’ wonderful necklace. The retrospective will also feature pieces from public collections at institutions including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as well as the sword of the academician Roger Caillois, on special loan from the Musée des Confluences in Lyon.
15/12/2020 - 28/08/2021
L'École in Paris
31 rue Danielle Casanova 75001 Paris
Tuesday - Saturday, 13:00 - 19:00
Free admission by reservation
Paris
Collect / Connect. Bijoux contemporains
madparis.fr/francais/musees/musee-des-arts-decoratifs
As part of the 2020 Jewellery Trail, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is presenting original pieces from two designers: Julie Decubber and Stefania Lucchetta. Julie Decubber continues her ceramic explorations by offering an immersion in the eclectic world of contemporary ceramics, by creating a collection of “jewels narrated” , using shards of rejected work as material, thus revealing the personalities of the ceramicists superimposed on hers, like exquisite corpses. The fragments, which have become jewels, maintain a new link, that of the intimate relationship. Halfway between documentary and jewellery, this exhibition is wrapped in a soundscape, captured at the meetings on the ground. Stefania Lucchetta is a pioneer in the use of 3D modelling software and prototyping machines for jewellery. For nearly 20 years, these new technologies have represented for her the means of making concrete complex shapes which are impossible to obtain using traditional techniques. Titanium, a material she favours, allows her to combine lightness and expressive requirements. About fifteen jewels invite the visitor to discover these real miniature sculptures: the first geometric and abstract structures become, in more recent jewels made speically for this exhibition, organic sculptures close to the curves found in nature.
6/10/2020 - 3/10/2021
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00 - 18.00, Thursday 11.00 - 21.00
Adults €14, concessions €10, free under 26
Paris
Cartier et les arts de l’Islam. Aux sources de la modernité
madparis.fr/en/about-us/exhibitions/
Focusing on the exceptional creations of Louis Cartier, grandson of the jewellery house’s founder and a passionate student and collector of Arabesque art and artifacts, the exhibition will retrace Louis Cartier’s popularisation of this style through his creations for Cartier, beginning with his involvement in the family business in 1898. Finding inspiration in his travels to the Middle East and India along with his younger brother, Jacques Cartier, Louis Cartier began to favour the geometric and naturalistic patterns of Islamic Art as seen in many sketches, prototypes and jewels which became synonymous with the stylistic language of the house of Cartier. Louis Cartier himself curated exhibitions on Islamic Art and Jewellery at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1903 and 1912.
21/10/2021 - 20/02/2022
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00 - 18.00, Thursday 11.00 - 21.00
Adults €14, concessions €10, free under 26
Paris
Pierres Précieuses
Exhibition extended to 22 August - ending soon
mnhn.fr/en/node/6306In collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels, this exhibition offers an immersion in several intimately linked but rarely united universes: mineralogy, gemmology and jewellery. Diamond, ruby, emerald, aquamarine, turquoise ... Extracted from the depths of the Earth, coveted and sought after for millennia, gems - precious stones worked by man - have always been considered as instruments of power and objects of seduction but also, since the 18th century, as scientific subjects. Through a contemporary scenography, the exhibition brings together more than 500 minerals, gems and works of art from the collections of the Museum and more than 200 gems and jewellery creations from Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. This unique dialogue between mineral, gem and jewel structures the route and immerses the visitor in the history of the Earth, the processes of mineral formation and the latest scientific advances in geosciences. It also allows you to marvel at the most beautiful creations shaped by human hands from natural diversity.
16/09/2020 - 22/08/2021
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 75005 Paris
Wednesday to Monday, 10.00 - 18.00
Adults €12, concessions €9
GERMANY
Berlin
Die Krone von Kertsch. Schätze aus Europas Frühzeit
The Crown of Kerch. Treasures from the Dawn of European History
Open, with restricted admission
smb.museum/en/exhibitionsGold jewellery from the migration period found near the Black Sea, silver brooches and magnificent belts from early medieval graves in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany: selections from the collection of Johannes von Diergardt will be on view again in Berlin for the first time in 80 years, re-turning to the city where they were displayed until 1934. Following the death of the collector and art lover, these works moved to the Römisch-Germanisches Museum in Cologne. Construction work in the Cologne museum now offers a prime opportunity to present the treasures to the Berlin public again for the first time in many years. An exhibition by the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, in collaboration with the Römisch-Germanisches Museum der Stadt Köln
19/06/2020 - 25/09/2022
Neues Museum
James-Simon-Galerie, Bodestraße, 10178 Berlin
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
Adults €12, Concessions €6
Hanau
Highlights aus der Sammlung des Deutschen Goldschmiedehauses
goldschmiedehaus.com/en/highlights-aus-der-sammlung
From the manifold collection of the German Goldsmith's House, jewellery of well-known artists - Bruno Martinazzi, Hermann Jünger, Ebbe Weiss-Weingart - as well as relating to exceptional materials and techniques will be presented in the context of the history of jewellery.
6/04/2019 - 28/11/2021
Deutsche Goldschmiedehaus Hanau
Altstädter Markt 6, 63450 Hanau
Idar-Oberstein
Proudly African: Jewellery Affairs
Ending soon
hochschule-trier.de/en/campus-for-design-and-artThis exhibition of African jewellery features works by African jewellery artists from various countries, reflecting the extraordinary cultural diversity of the continent as well as the simultaneity of tradition and modernity. The pieces of jewellery on display are part of a collection that Martina Dempf has assembled. The exhibition is complemented by works by European artists inspired by Africa's jewellery culture. Photographs visualise jewellery in African everyday life and at festivals.
11/06/2021 - 6/08/2021
Jakob Bengel Foundation
Wilhelmstraße 42a, 55743 Idar-Oberstein
Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Adults €7, Concessions €4
Leipzig
Jewellery & Image. The GRASSI Adorns You
grassimak.de/en/museum
Almost unnoticed, a collection of contemporary jewellery has grown in the museum over the last decades, which is now coming into the public eye. The objects attest to the gradual emancipation of jewellery design as an autonomous form of artistic expression. But what are brooches, rings, and necklaces without one to wear them? Jewellery can only be realised on the body, as a representation of the self and/or as a symbol of perception to the outside world. Thus, it is only logical to understand people and jewellery as a unity, and to photograph them with ‘their’ piece of jewellery. Personalities who are connected to the museum in various ways are ‘adorned’ and brought into the frame by aspiring and established photographers. In the exhibition, the pieces of jewellery correspond with the photographic works, making possible a deeper and more mutual perception.
5/5/2022 - 25/09/2022
GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts
Johannisplatz 5–11, 04103 Leipzig
Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
Adults €8, Concessions €5.50
Munich
Münchner Schmuck. Perspectives on a private Munich Jewellery Collection
Exhibition extended to 26 September
muenchner-stadtmuseum.de/enSince the end of the 19th century, the craft of goldsmithing has gained in importance in Munich, and substantial numbers of goldsmiths still live and work in the city today. This is in no small part due to the internationally renowned jewellery and hollow ware course offered by the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. The Münchner Stadtmuseum has been fortunate to acquire a collection of Munich jewellery dating mainly from the period between the 1880s and 1930s and has joined forces with students from the Academy of Fine Arts course and their professor, Karen Pontoppidan, to mount an exhibition of this work. It seeks not only to offer visitors insights into these historical works and their background, but also to showcase today’s budding jewelry artists, their training, aims, approaches and significant works.
13/11/2020 - 26/09/2021
Münchner Stadtmuseum
St.-Jakobs-Platz 1, 80331 München
Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
Adults €7, Concessions €3.50
Pforzheim
Delicate Like Iron - Jewellery from a private collection
schmuckmuseum.de/en/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions
In the period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, what is called iron jewellery was very popular: elaborate necklaces, bracelets, pendant earrings, brooches and even rings, filigreed like lace – yet cast from iron. The pieces’ unobtrusive material, clear-cut formal idiom and somewhat inaccessible character reflect the values embraced by society back then: constancy, modesty and reticence. In line with the taste of the time, they feature elements from Gothic architecture or floral ornamental motifs from classical antiquity, such as palmettes, acanthus and wine leaves. In addition to Berlin – from which the French term »fer de Berlin« derives – the city of Gleiwitz (now Gliwice in Poland) was also home to an important foundry. At first, iron jewellery was mainly used as mourning jewellery, and many women were wearing what are called »Louise pendants« or »Louise brooches« after the early death of the well-liked Prussian Queen Louise in 1810. During the time of the Napoleonic Wars of Liberation, iron jewellery was being worn increasingly as a political statement or symbol of patriotism, and was donned »to save the fatherland« following an appeal by Princess Marianne of Prussia in 1813 to donate gold jewellery in exchange for pieces made of iron. What enabled the production of delicate iron jewellery in the first place was the state of technological development back then as a necessary prerequisite for transforming the technically demanding designs into tangible pieces. Some of the designs were created by the state architect of Prussia, Karl Friedrich Schinkel. During World War I, iron jewellery became fashionable again in the shape of rings, brooches or medallions with the inscription »Gold gab ich für Eisen« (I gave gold for iron), for example. The exhibits are from the Klaus-Peter and Judith Thomé Collection.
16/07/2021 - 6/02/2022
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
Pforzheim
The Phenomenon of Jewellery – the Ethnographic Collection at the Jewellery Museum
museumspass.com/en/exhibition/phenomenon
There is something innately human about jewellery. The phenomenon of jewellery can be found in all epochs and eras, as well as in all cultures. The “Eva and Peter Herion” collection has been given to the Jewellery Museum as a permanent loan. When the remodelled Jewellery Museum opened in 2006, parts of the Herion Collection were set up with a special focus on Africa and Asia. Conceived as a semi-permanent exhibition back then, it will now be redesigned on the basis of a fundamentally new approach. The discussion held in recent years, and increasingly of late, about our approach to ethnographic artefacts requires a new view of non-European jewellery. The aim is to come up with a new concept that takes the insights gained from the current discussion and its key aspects into due account. Here it is equally essential to see the objects in their individual cultural-historical contexts, to consider the artistic aspirations involved, and to regard them within the framework of global jewellery history.
27/11/2020 - 31/12/2025
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
Schwäbisch Hall
Leonhard Kern und Europa - Die Kaiserliche Schatzkammer Wien im Dialog mit der Sammlung Würth
Leonhard Kern and Europe - The Imperial Treasury Vienna in combination with the Würth Collection
Museum closed until further notice. Exhibition extended to 3 October
schwaebischhall.de/de/kultur-tourismusThe baroque sculptor Leonhard Kern, born in Hohenlohe and settled in Schwäbisch Hall with his successful workshop after extensive travels, enchanted the princely Kunstkammers of Europe with his carved jewels. The Imperial Treasury Vienna, the greatest collection of its kind in the world, is the first to combine its masterpieces by Leonhard Kern with those of the Würth Collection. Complemented by works by stars of Italian art such as Mantegna or Giambologna, we experience highlights of European art history between the Renaissance and the Baroque. Works of modern art from the Würth Collection also direct our gaze from today's perspective to the local and at the same time European-oriented artist. A cooperation with the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien and the Hällisch-Fränkisches Museum, Schwäbisch Hall.
22/03/2021 - 3/10/2021
Kunsthalle Würth
Lange Straße 35, 74523 Schwäbisch Hall
Daily: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
Admission is free
GREECE
Athens
A History of Contemporary Czech Jewelry Design
Exhibition to be rescheduled
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.
11/11/2020 – 31/01/2021
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
Fabergé
Museum closed. Exhibition to be rescheduled
palazzorealemilano.it/enThe exhibition features a selection of unique articles by the famous Fabergé firm from the collection of Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg. Among the main masterpieces of the exhibition are precious Easter eggs created by Carl Fabergé for Russian emperors, as well as diplomatic gifts, jewelry, memorabilia, and the famous “objects of fantasy” that made Fabergé tremendously popular among the Russian and European aristocracy of his time.
November 2021 - February 2022
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Duomo, 12 - Milano
Tuesday - Sunday, 9.30 - 19.30, Monday 14:30 - 19:30, Thursday, Saturday until 22.30
Adults €14, Concessions €12
Pompeii
Venustas: Grace and Beauty at Pompeii
Exhibition extended to 31 July 2021 - ending soon
pompeiisites.org/en/exhibitions/venustas-grace-and-beauty-at-pompeiiCreams, make-up, perfumed baths, mirrors for admiring oneself, ornaments for clothes and jewels, amulets, statuettes and precious objects dedicated to the gods. Accessories and fashionable objects which allowed one to pursue an ideal of perfection and beauty. Today just as in Antiquity. In one word, VENUSTAS. To be precise, ‘beauty, grace, elegance and charm’. The Latin term succinctly conveys these ideals which have been particularly sought-after and coveted by women throughout history, and gives its name to this rich exhibition. It is an immersion into what the norms and aesthetic tastes of the populations who lived around Vesuvius were in ancient times (from the 8th/7th centuries BC to the 1st century AD), on the basis of the roughly 300 finds which have been discovered in the various sites of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, including: the protohistoric village of Poggiomarino, the protohistoric necropoleis of Striano and the Archaic Necropolis of Stabiae, the sanctuaries of Pompeii and Stabiae, the villas of Oplontis and Terzigno, and finally the ancient settlement of Pompeii and its surroundings.
31/07/2020 - 31/07/2021
the Large Palaestra
Archaeological Park of Pompeii
Tuesday - Sunday, 9.15 - 16.40
Adults €16, Concessions €2
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
Goddesses of Art Nouveau
Ending soon
allardpierson.nl/en/visit/goddesses-of-art-nouveauThe Allard Pierson, in partnership with two museums in Germany, is compiling an exhibition about the international art nouveau movement. Key features of this style, which held sway throughout Europe from 1890 to 1910, are flowing lines and floral motifs. Another characteristic is the frequent depiction of beautiful females. Many of them are divine figures taken from classical antiquity, Byzantine icons, medieval legends and contemporary muses. In this exhibition the fascination for female beauty is examined more closely in the context of the social developments of the period. What is particularly striking is that the women, with their luxuriant hair and transparent robes, not only looked like goddesses but also functioned as such. Almost invariably they symbolized something larger than themselves, lending designs a symbolic meaning and often embodying higher ideals, human feelings or timeless virtues. On display are works by Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, Aubrey Beardsley, René Lalique and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as countless objects by other celebrated designers, with particular attention for female artists. Photography and film also feature, with the exhibition including a film recording of the revolutionary Serpentine Dance by Loïe Fuller, the dancer who greatly inspired art nouveau artists.
9/02/2020 – 29/08/2021
Allard Pierson
Oude Turfmarkt 127-129, 1012 GC Amsterdam
Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Adults €10, Youth and students €5
Leiden
Pracht en precisie
Magnificent and Meticulous - Highlights from the collection of cut stones
Museum re-opened 5 June
rmo.nl/en/exhibitionsThis exhibition brings together the most beautiful and remarkable cut stones from the collection of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities. You will see over a hundred examples of these colourful and often precious gems with engraved images. They come from the ancient Near East, Egypt and classical antiquity. Some are no larger than a fingertip. The stones display images of gods, animals, symbols, emperors and magic spells. The exhibition introduces you to the extraordinary craftsmanship of the artists who cut stones in antiquity and the centuries that followed. You will discover the symbolism behind varieties of stone and the enormously diverse engraved images. Enormous enlargements of some of these minute scenes are projected around the room. In addition, you will get to know the owners and admirers of the stones and the many ways they used them over the centuries. To complement the stones and their images, the exhibition also contains antique chests of drawers that were used by 19th-century collectors.
9/02/2020 – 4/09/2022
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Rapenburg 28, 2311 EW Leiden
Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Adults €12.50, Children under 18 €4
RUSSIA
Moscow
Suprematism Vision: Space Motifs in the Graphic Works and Jewellery Designs of Nadia Léger
kreml.ru/en-Us/exhibitions/moscow-kremlin
The exhibition is dedicated to the art of Nadia Léger (1904-1982), a famous artist of the 20th century, a bright representative of the Parisian art school. The oeuvre of this talented painter and graphic artist, who was also engaged in monumental art and design, was the amalgam and reinterpretation of the major artistic trends of the 20th century, such as Cubism, Suprematism, Purism and Socialist Realism. In the 1960s and 1970s, Nadia Léger turned to an early period of her creative career dating back to the early 1920s that of the "flight forms". It was inspired by the dawn of the Space Age. of Yuri Gagarin’s feat stunned Nadia: this miracle, which became a reality, was perceived by her as the ultimate fulfilment of her teacher, the founder of Suprematism, Kazimir Malevich’s vision and earlier dreams. In 1970, Nadia Léger created a series of suprematism jewellery pieces based on her paintings and graphic works in gold, platinum, and diamonds. She presented the Soviet Union with thirty-seven pieces of precious "cosmic" jewellery – brooches, rings and watches in 1976. They were transferred to the Moscow Kremlin Museums in 1980, where they are preserved to this day. A remarkable collection of avant-garde jewellery will be on public display for the first time, and it will focus on a less explored aspect of Nadia Léger's outstanding talent. Along with the jewellery pieces, it will showcase a graphic portrait of Nadia, made by her husband Fernand Léger; Suprematist Compositions from the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and Pablo Picasso’s drawing from the collection of the Karisalov family, depicting Yuri Gagarin as a soaring dove.
6/04/2021 – 01/09/2021
Anteroom of the Armoury Chamber
The Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site, 103132 Russia, Moscow, Kremlin
Friday - Wednesday 9:30 to 18:00
Adults 1000 RUB. 500 RUB for all under-16s.
SPAIN
Barcelona
Picasso and the artist's jewellery
Exhibition now open
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.
20/05/2021 - 26/09/2021
Museu Picasso
c/ Montcada, 15-23 - 08003 Barcelona
Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 9pm
Adults €12, concessions €7
AMERICAS
USA
Baltimore, MD
Betty Cooke: The Circle and the Line
thewalters.org/exhibitions/betty-cooke
Betty Cooke is a legend in the world of modernist jewellery. During her 70-year career, Cooke has remained true to a minimalist style that has won her awards, the devotion of loyal patrons, and representation in museum collections. This exhibition is the first major museum retrospective of the Baltimore artist’s work. It explores the themes, and expressions in Cooke’s jewelry practice, and spans the period from her earliest designs in the 1940s and ’50s to the present. Cooke grew up in Baltimore, attending the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she also taught for 22 years. Her first working location was a studio, showroom, and residence on Tyson Street, a few blocks from the Walters, which she had visited from childhood; the medieval armour collection was a particular favourite. In 1965, Cooke, with her husband and business partner, William O. Steinmetz (d. 2016), moved from Tyson Street to the Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore’s northern suburbs, where they opened The Store Ltd. Over the years her jewellery has been featured in Vogue and received two Diamonds Today awards from DeBeers. In 1996 she was made a Fellow of the American Craft Council. Below the surface of Cooke’s work are deeply personal, witty, and emotional meanings. She is inspired by the natural world, especially animals and birds, as well as kinetic forms, and uses materials as varied as metal tubing, enamel, wood, and gemstones. Cooke’s strong sense of composition underlies all of her work and is based in her conviction that with “a circle and a line, you can make anything.” 'Betty Cooke: The Circle and the Line' comprises approximately 160 objects drawn from public and private lenders and Cooke’s own collection. It approaches Cooke’s jewellery as individual works of art and in relation to the body as sculpture in motion. In addition to her jewellery, the exhibition will include photography, drawings, and design sketches.
19/09/2021 - 2/01/2022
The Walters Art Museum
600 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Admittance FREE
Bryn Athyn, PA
Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt
Exhibition extended to 31 October 2021
glencairnmuseum.org/exhibitionsSacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt, a stunning new exhibition at Glencairn Museum, explores how jewellery in the Museum’s collection was used by the ancient Egyptians to adorn, to protect, and to express devotion to the divine. By examining the materials and symbols present in these ornaments, we can come away with a deeper understanding of the complex ideas that guided the artists, as well as the hopes and beliefs of those who wore this jewellery in ancient times. When Raymond Pitcairn purchased the ancient jewellery now in the Glencairn’s collection during the 1920s and 1930s, he intended for it to be worn by Mildred, his wife. It was later also worn by their daughters and granddaughters. Raymond designed dresses and gowns for Mildred to wear on special occasions, and it was not uncommon for elements of ancient jewellery to be incorporated into the dresses’ embellishments. One of these dresses will be on exhibit at Glencairn during the Sacred Adornment exhibition.
29/02/2020 – 8/11/2020, 19/01/2021 - 31/10/2021
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
Cartersville, GA
Out Of This World! Jewelry In The Space Age
tellusmuseum.org/galleries-more
Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt, a stunning new exhibition at Glencairn Museum, explores how jewellery in the Museum’s collection was used by the ancient Egyptians to adorn, to protect, and to express devotion to the divine. By examining the materials and symbols present in these ornaments, we can come away with a deeper understanding of the complex ideas that guided the artists, as well as the hopes and beliefs of those who wore this jewellery in ancient times. When Raymond Pitcairn purchased the ancient jewellery now in the Glencairn’s collection during the 1920s and 1930s, he intended for it to be worn by Mildred, his wife. It was later also worn by their daughters and granddaughters. Raymond designed dresses and gowns for Mildred to wear on special occasions, and it was not uncommon for elements of ancient jewellery to be incorporated into the dresses’ embellishments. One of these dresses will be on exhibit at Glencairn during the Sacred Adornment exhibition.
7/11/2020 – 24/10/2021
Tellus Science Museum
100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120
Monday-Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM
Adults $15.95 + tax, Seniors $13.95 + tax, Young $11.95 + tax
Dallas, TX
Canvas & Silk: Historic Fashion from Madrid’s Museo del Traje
meadowsmuseumdallas.org/exhibitions
This exhibition pairs paintings in the Meadows collection with representative examples of the historic dress depicted to shed new light on the relationship between representation and reality, between image and artefact. 'Canvas & Silk' will be curated in collaboration with the Museo del Traje and marks that institution’s first major partnership with an American museum. Loans include jewellery, shoes, accessories, and ensembles for men, women, and children. The combined installation of objects and images from the Enlightenment to the modern era will facilitate rich dialogues between fashion and the fine arts in which the visitor will experience and learn about the evolution of both. Sections include ‘Precious Things’ featuring accessories like jewellery and combs made from precious metals and other rare materials such as coral, ‘Traditional Dress’ showcasing examples of garments and ensembles that are typically identified with Spain, such as a traje de luces, the suit typically worn by bullfighters, and mantón de Manila, the traditional embroidered silk shawls historically traded through Manila, and ‘Stepping Out’ demonstrating the importance of what one wore when presenting oneself in public. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication featuring a single essay co-authored by the exhibition’s curators, Amanda W. Dotseth (Meadows Museum) and Elvira González (Museo del Traje).
14/05/2022 – 18/09/2022
The Meadows Museum
5900 Bishop Blvd., Dallas, TX 75205
Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Thursday 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Sunday: 1.00 p.m..–7:00 p.m.
General admission free. Charges for some exhibitions.
Dallas, TX
Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity
dma.org/art/exhibitions/cartier
This major exhibition traces Islamic art’s influence on the objects created by Louis Cartier and the designers of the great French jewellery Maison from the early 20th century to today. The exhibition explores how Cartier’s designers adapted forms and techniques from Islamic art, architecture, and jewellery, as well as materials from India, Iran and the Arab lands, synthesising them into a modern stylistic language unique to the house of Cartier. Over 400 objects from major international collections, including the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre Museum and the Keir Collection of Islamic Art are on loan to the Dallas Museum of Art.
14/05/2022 – 18/09/2022
Dallas Museum of Art
1717 North Harwood, Dallas TX 75201
Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Saturday: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
General admission free. Charges for some exhibitions.
New York, NY
Wiener Werkstätte Fashion and Accessories
neuegalerie.org/wiener-werkstatte-fashion-and-accessories
The Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), an artist and craftsmen collective, was launched in 1903. At its outset, the firm focused on metalwork, including jewellery. The group was initially comprised of two designers — Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser — and three artisans. This exhibition includes a group of rare and mostly unique designs of jewellery by Hoffmann and Moser as well as other designers who later joined the firm, including Carl Otto Czeschka and Dagobert Peche.
10/06/2021 - 5/09/2021
Neue Galerie New York
1048 Fifth Avenue (at 86th Street), New York, NY 10028
Thursday – Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$25 for adults; $16 for seniors; $12 for students
New York, NY
Beautiful Creatures
amnh.org/exhibitions/beautiful-creatures
Beautiful Creatures presents more than 100 animal-themed precious jewels created by the world's great jewellery houses and artisans, from Cartier's iconic panthers to Suzanne Belperron's butterflies. This exhibition was postponed from last year, due to covid, but the catalogue was published, and is reviewed in the latest issue of Jewellery History Today
12/06/2021 - 19/09/2021
American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5102
Wednesday – unday, 10 am – 5:30 pm
Pay what you wish admission
New York, NY
45 Stories in Jewelry. 1947 to Now
Exhibition ongoing - no end date announced
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 Spring 2022
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
Museum re-opens 16 July. Exhibition online
africa.si.edu/exhibitionsGold from West Africa was the engine that drove the movement of things, people, and ideas across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in an interconnected medieval world. As the incredible works in this exhibition show, it is not possible to understand the emergence of the early modern world without this West African story. Caravans of Gold calls on what archaeologists have termed “the archaeological imagination”—the act of recapturing the past through surviving traces—to present a critical rethinking of the medieval period. Here, rare and precious archaeological fragments are seen side by side, bringing new understanding to complete works of art from the medieval period. Medieval Africa begins with the spread of Islam in the 8th century BC and recedes with the arrival of Europeans along the continent’s Atlantic Coast at the end of the 15th century. During this era, the Sahara Desert was the centre of a global network of exchange. As networks spread, so too did cultural practices, fostering the broad circulation of distinctive Saharan aesthetic and intellectual traditions connected to Islam. The reach of trans-Saharan exchange is revealed in the fragments excavated from archaeological sites, now uninhabited, that were once vibrant communities.
11/04/2020 - 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.
ASIA
U.A.E
Abu Dhabi
Diva! Italian Glamour in Fashion Jewellery
Ending soon
iicabudhabi.esteri.it/iic_abudhabi/enThis exhibition features 200 pieces of Italian fashion jewellery, from the 1950s to today. The exhibition was curated by Alba Cappellieri, Professor of Jewellery Design at Politecnico di Milano University (Italy), and Codirector of the Vicenza Museum of Jewellery. The exhibition will take the visitors on a journey through the masterpieces of the major Italian bijouterie, the finest expression of Italian design and craftsmanship, bringing together a well-established and prestigious tradition with innovation of materials and new technologies.
23/06/2021 - 23/07/2021
The Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi
Al Qasbah Street, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Sunday-Thursday; 12pm-4pm
Admittance FREE
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
Geelong
Blanche Tilden—ripple effect: a 25 year survey
Ending soon
dowse.org.nz/exhibitions/detail/wild-domain-the-natural-history-of-jane-dodd-jewelThis 25 year survey of the work of Melbourne-based jeweller and maker Blanche Tilden reveals her remarkable and critically acclaimed practice. Tilden has a unique approach to her materials, in particular, glass, which she explores both as a material for jewellery making and deploys as a metaphor for the connections between making, industry, the wearable object and the body. Her fascination with mechanical devices, fuelled by a desire to understand how things work, continually inspires her work. This first comprehensive survey of Tilden’s career includes historical and contemporary works loaned from numerous public and private collections. Tilden has reinterpreted previous work to create new forms that expand on her preoccupations with value, mechanical movement, and industrial and architectural uses of glass, translating something of the macro immensity of the built and material world to the intimacy of the jewellery object.
8/05/2021 - 1/08/2021
Geelong Gallery
Little Malop Street, Geelong 3220
Daily, 10am - 5pm.
Admittance FREE