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
Colchester
Adorn: Jewellery, The Human Story
colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/exhibitions/adornFrom Bronze Age torcs to modern bling, people have adorned themselves with jewellery for thousands of years. What hidden stories do these objects hold and why do we still choose to express ourselves in this way? We have brought together objects from collections across the region to reveal the jewellery worn by the people of Essex through time. Meet modern makers and local people to discover the inspiration and personal stories of love, friendship, loss and status behind the jewellery we wear. Featuring loans from the British Museum and other major collections.
27/07/2019 - 16/02/2020
Colchester Castle Museum
Castle Park, Essex, CO1 1TJ
Monday – Saturday, 10.00am – 5.00pm, Sunday, 11.00am – 5.00pm
Adult (inc. Seniors): £10.00, Child (aged 4-16): £5.25
London
Bejewelled: Badges, Brotherhood and Identity
extended to 21 December 2019
freemasonry.london.museum/event/By wearing badges we can connect with one another and reveal something about ourselves. With their unique symbols and hidden meanings, this exhibition features over 150 stunning examples of masonic badges referred to as ‘jewels’. It is the largest public display of its kind ever staged in the UK. Including jewels from around the world, the exhibition sheds light on a long and celebrated tradition. Examples like the Egyptian-inspired Authors’ Lodge jewel and delightful Barraclough Plate jewel tell the story of freemasonry over three centuries. Whether made by Prisoners of War or for future kings, the beautiful craftsmanship that the jewels display is only matched by the story behind each one.
20/09/2018 - 24/08/2019
The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
Admission is free
London
Multum in Parvo: A Collection of Engraved Gems
closing soon
wartski.comThe first exhibition in Wartski's new premises situated at 60 St James’s Street in London will showcase a carefully curated collection of engraved gems assembled by the firm over several years. Entitled ‘Multum in Parvo’ (a Latin motto which translates as much in little), the exhibition will display over 80 intricate carvings in miniature, engraved into beautifully coloured and figured precious and semi-precious stones. Works of art by some of the most notable gem engravers of the 18th and 19th centuries will be represented, as well as examples dating from the Renaissance and Classical Antiquity.
1/10/2019 - 7/10/2019
Wartski
60 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LE
Daily (including Sundays) 10.30am – 5pm
Admission free
EUROPE EX-UK
BELGIUM
Antwerp
Room of Wonder II: Wouters & Hendrix
divaantwerp.be/enThe Antwerp design duo Wouters & Hendrix takes over the baton from Axel Vervoordt as guest curators. Katrin Wouters and Karen Hendrix look back at what has amazed and inspired them in their 35-year career as jewellery designers and storytellers with a view to bringing together items of jewellery from their own body of work with gems from DIVA’s collection, contemporary art and curiosities. The leitmotif of the exhibition is Wouters & Hendrix’s fascination with remarkable stories and the precious metals silver and gold. The novel assemblages, so typical of their work, provide an explosion of forms and colours. An important aspect of the exhibition is Antwerp’s famed craftsmanship which is reflected in the collections.
13/09/2019 - 16/02/2020
DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds
Suikerrui 17-19, B-2000 Antwerp
Daily: 10.00-18.00. Closed on Wednesdays
Adults €10, concessions €7
FRANCE
Alès
Toujours paré.e.s, de Néandertal aux Romains
Always adorned, from the Neanderthals to the Romans
closing soon
ales.frToday, the oldest known ornaments are dated to more than 100 000 years. The jewel represents one of the oldest objects of humanity, still used. It is particularly interesting to use these objects to better understand the evolution of human societies, from the first Paleolithic beads to Roman rings. The timelessness of jewellery results in continuous types, shapes; plunging us into the distant past but becoming accessible today. At the same time, adornment, as an archaeological object is a support to learn and understand these ancient societies and see mirrored the great social transformations that have created the world of today.
17/05/2019 - 22/09/2019
Musée du Colombier
rue Jean Mayodon, 30100 Alès
Monday to Sunday from 14.00 to 18.00, 11.00 to 18.00 in July/August
Free admission to the permanent collections. Exhibitions Adults €5, concessions €2.50
Lyon
Le monde en tête
Headdresses from around the World
exposition-lemondeentete.fr/en
For 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
Berlin
Die Krone von Kertsch. Schätze aus Europas Frühzeit
The Crown of Kerch. Treasures from the Dawn of European History
closing soon
smb.museum/en/exhibitions/Gold 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: a selection from the collection of Johannes von Diergardt will be on view again in Berlin for the first time in 80 years, returning 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 perfect opportunity to present the treasures to the Berlin public again for the first time in many years.
19/10/2017 - 29/09/2019
Neues Museum
Bodestraße, 10178 Berlin
Daily: 10:00 - 18:00, Thursday until 20:00
Adults €12, Concessions €6
Neugablonz
Natürlich Elegant. Schmuck und mehr
A special exhibition about the Gablonz Jewellery Industry
closing soon
bv-schmuck-uhren.de/natuerlich-elegantThis interactive exhibition presents handcrafted jewellery from the workshops of the Gablonzer Industrie. Whether classical or modern, playful or straightforward - the individual creations have their own character and develop natural elegance. There is a variety of different designs and materials that every guest can create and try. This always creates new and very personal connections, because the effect of the jewellery is individual. The special show offers jewellery for special occasions and jewellery for every day.
8/04/2019 - 4/10/2019
Erlebnisausstellung der Gablonzer Industrie
Neue Zeile 11, 87600 Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz
Monday to Friday 09:30 - 12:00, Monday - Thursday also 14:00 – 17:00.
Admission free
Pforzheim
Nearly Nothing - Jewellery and Vessels Created by Ulla and Martin Kaufmann
schmuckmuseum.deUlla and Martin Kaufmann have been creating jewellery and vessels for almost fifty years now. Initially, they were characterized by abstract floral shapes, later on by a classically modern formal idiom, and in the past few decades have reflected their in-depth involvement with the sculptures created by Richard Serra or Eduardo Chillida, for example. Both trained as gold- and silversmiths, and have been sharing an atelier in Hildesheim since 1970. A hammered metal strip plays a central role in their works, which include a number of audaciously shaped creations, as do the exterior, interior and intermediate spaces they create with their materials. In addition to many other accolades, Ulla and Martin Kaufmann won the Bavarian State Prize in 2018 for their project entitled »Cubes in Motion«. The exhibition will be giving a representative overview of the couple’s comprehensive oeuvre.
13/07/2019 - 3/11/2019
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
Pforzheim
A Newly Ordered World. Jewellery from the Napoleonic Era
closing soon
schmuckmuseum.deNapoleon Bonaparte, whose 250th anniversary occurs in 2019, reorganized the European world in many respects. This provides the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim with the opportunity for a special exhibition on the new type of jewellery and fashion that characterized the Napoleonic era. These are Classicism as the "Style of Revolution" and the decorative Empire style that spread throughout western Europe as far as Russia. The values of the Enlightenment demanded an aesthetic of reason. It met the taste of a growing, self-confident and educated bourgeoisie and influenced all areas of culture - from architecture and painting, furniture, clothing and jewellery to literature and music. The visual arts created a spiritual aristocracy, breaking the tradition of an hereditary nobility. Over the course of the reign of Napoleon, the Empire style unfolded its representative splendour. With works by Chaumet, Napoleon's court jeweller, jewellery from his environment will also be on display.
13/07/2019 - 31/10/2019
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Adults €6, Concessions €3.50
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
Schwäbisch Gmünd
Impulse. 30 Jahre Stiftung Gold- und Silberschmiedekunst in Schwäbisch Gmünd
Impulse. 30 years of the Gold and Silversmiths' Craft Foundation Schwäbisch Gmünd
closing soon
schwaebisch-gmuend.de/In 2018 the Gold and Silversmithing Foundation of Schwäbisch Gmünd celebrates its 30th anniversary. In 1989 the foundation initiated various projects to promote gold and silversmithing. In addition to exhibitions, competitions and acquisitions, this included the establishment of a city goldsmith. Since 1989, a total of 15 renowned city goldsmiths have been guesting in Schwäbisch Gmünd with this award. Together with works by this year's 16 city goldsmiths, the exhibition brings together 70 pieces. The spectrum encompasses jewellery and objects, ranging from the traditionally enamelled brooch to unconventional necklaces made of a wide variety of materials, from the classic candlestick, coffee and mocha service to vessels which explore the limits of metal casting. Although designed individually and in their own time, the term Zeitgeist loses itself in the works: in addition to quality and creativity, they testify to timeless beauty. The exhibits come from artists, private and museum collections, and particular pieces, which were acquired by the foundation for the collections of the Gmünd museum. In addition, works from workshops, posters, books and other documents convey the intensity of the Foundation's activities over the past three decades.
15/04/2018 - 28/10/2019
Silberwarenmuseum Ott-Pausersche Fabrik
Milchgässle 10, 73525 Schwäbisch Gmünd
Tuesday - Friday 14.00 - 17.00 p.m, Thursday until 19.00, Saturday and Sunday 11.00 - 17.00 p.m
Völklingen
PharaonenGold - 3.000 Jahre altägyptische Hochkultur
Pharaohs' Gold: 3,000 Years of Ancient Egypt
voelklinger-huette.org/en/pharaohs-gold
Few civilisations have been as rich and as enduring a source of fascination as the advanced civilisation of ancient Egypt. Comprising 160 individual exhibits, this exhibition presents an exceptional array of golden treasures of ancient Egyptian origin. The exhibition marks the first time that the pieces have been showcased in this way. It therefore offers an entirely new perspective on gold in ancient Egypt and the enormous religious and symbolic power that was attributed to it. Gold is enduring, indestructible. It is the symbol of eternity and, to ancient Egyptians, the holiest of all metals. So much so that they referred to it as the “flesh of the gods”.
18/05/2019 - 24/11/2019
Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte
Rathausstraße 75-79, 66333 Völklingen
Daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m
Adults €17, Concessions €15
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
Herculaneum
SplendORI. Il lusso negli Ornamenti ad Ercolano
SplendOri: Luxury in the Ornaments of Herculaneum
closing soon
beniculturali.it/mibacThe Antiquarium of Herculaneum opens for the first time to the public, offering a glimpse of the life of Herculanean society through its precious objects, not only in the strict sense but all that they represented in terms of wealth, economic value, social and personal content. It includes jewellery and other objects previously in storage, as well as loans from the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and the Moregine silver treasure from Pompeii.
20/12/2018 – 30/09/2019
Parco archeologico di Ercolano
corso Resina, 187 80056 - Ercolano (NA)
20/12/18 to 31/03/2019: 08.30 - 17.00, 01/04 to 30/09/2019: 08.30 - 19.30
Mantua
Lo Spirito delle Cose. The silver and everyday treasures of the counts of Arco
arte.it/calendario-arte/mantovaOn display for the first time the core of the collection is on display, showing the family silver as well as the charming objects of the ladies, those for writing and smoking.
30/03/2019 - 30/11/2019
Museo di Palazzo d’Arco
Piazza Carlo d'Arco n°4, 46100 Mantova
Monday 9.30-13.00, Tuesday 14.30-18.00, Wednesday - Sunday 9.30-13.00, 14.30-18.00
Adults €8, Concessions €2
Milan
Van Cleef & Arpels: il Tempo, la Natura, l’Amore
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 - March 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
Verona
Bellezza e cura del corpo nell'antichità
Beauty and the care of the body in antiquity
closing soon
museoarcheologico.comune.verona.itThis exhibition shows around 140 objects not normally exhibited, many of which have been restored for the occasion. Precious ornaments, in addition to enhancing the appearance of the wearer, often indicated their well-being or position in society. The jewels often had the function of protecting their owner, with appropriate representations or for their own constituent material. For example, Pliny the Elder reminds us that amber jewels, in addition to beautifying women, safeguarded from diseases, in particular the throat.
26/10/2018 – 29/09/2019
Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano
Regaste Redentore 2 Verona
Monday 13.30 to 19.30, Tuesday-Sunday 8.30 to 19.30
Adults €4.50, Concessions €3
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!
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 21th century.
14/09/2019 - 15/03/2020
Hermitage Amsterdam
Amstel 51, Amsterdam
10 am - 5 pm
Adults €18
Doesburg
Oosters Licht. De invloed van Japan op de Westerse kunst
Oriental Light - The influence of Japan on Western art
closing soon
musee-lalique.nl/oosters-licht-de-invloed-van-japan-op-de-westerse-kunstWith the birthplace of European civilization we often think of Syria, Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Although this is where the roots of Western civilization lie, we must note that in the mid-19th century an unexpected influence came from the East. Through the Kanagawa treaty in 1854, Japan opened its doors to the West. The treaty led to a civil war in Japan that was only stopped in 1867 by the installation of a new emperor, also known as the Meiji restoration. In Europe, the second industrial revolution had made it possible for a new elite within society to emerge that had acquired power not through inheritance (such as nobility) but through its own efforts. This led to a new injection of capital but also to the loss of the old guild systems. In England in particular, people longed for the old craftsmanship. Under the leadership of William Morris and John Ruskin, the Art & Crafts movement was established that had set itself the goal of reintroducing well-crafted craftsmanship at an affordable price. Yet this movement, together with the influence of Japanese art in the West, led to a new movement, 'Art Nouveau' from 1895. Although Art Nouveau was the result of everything that preceded it, it was also a complete break with it. The forms focused on nature and old animistic or polytheic symbolism. The latter in particular differ essentially from the Christian tradition in which oppositions such as "good and evil", "god versus devil" are decisive for thinking. Within the animistic "thinking" or rather "perceiving" one experiences everything as a "whole" and therefore undivided. This influence could not only be observed in art, but above all in the new way of thinking within Western society. The oeuvre of this exhibition will include work by the following artists: Lalique, Mucha, Gallé, Daum, Knox, Van de Velde, Majorelle, Macintosh, Maison Vever, Fouquet, Gautrait and many others. Work by other artists will also be exhibited that is generally not as well known to the general public but is of the same high quality as that of Lalique or Mucha.
8/07/19 - 7/11/2019
Lalique Museum Nederland
Gasthuisstraat 1, 6981 CP, Doesburg
Tuesday to Sunday: 11.30 am - 5 pm
Adults €15
Nijmegen
Sieraden uit de bodem
Jewellery from the soil
museumhetvalkhof.nl
Jewellery is probably as old as humanity itself. It is a way to distinguish yourself or to radiate power. Gold jewellery has existed in Gelderland since 2300 BC, but remains very rare until Roman times. It often indicates contacts with other peoples, for example within the Celtic area, where networks were created through the exchange of valuable gifts. Bronze jewellery comes from around 1800 BC. for neck rings, bracelets and decorative pins, used to fasten clothing. The Romans bring their own style of body decoration to our country. Rings of precious and base metals, but also of precious stones are very popular. In the early Middle Ages, a new fashion emerged that is strikingly similar in Northwest Europe. Typically, jewellery is inlaid with pieces of garnet, a bright red gem originating from India. Beautifully decorated belts for men can certainly also be counted among the jewellery. Many of these age-old jewels were deposited in tombs, or had been abandoned or lost for various reasons. Often, after having been in the soil for centuries, they are found in archaeological excavations. By comparing these jewels with preserved paintings and sculptures, we can form a picture of thelr use.
Ending 31 December 2019
Museum Het Valkhof
Kelfkensbos 59, 6511 TB Nijmegen
Tuesday to Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm
Adults €11, Concessions €5.50
AMERICAS
CANADA
Edmonton, AB
Vikings: Beyond the Legend
closing soon
royalalbertamuseum.ca/visit'Vikings: Beyond the Legend' is the largest touring exhibition of Viking artifacts in the world. It's an immersive experience surrounding 650 artefacts ranging from exotic jewels to three Viking warships, including the 37-metre Roskilde 6, the longest Viking warship ever found, featuring approximately 1,000 year-old wooden planks and metal supports showing the ship's original lines. Striking multimedia and 11 interactive stations bring this historic exhibition to life.
18/04/2019 – 20/10/2019
Royal Alberta Museum
9810 103a Ave NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0G2
Daily, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Thursday, Friday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Adults $15, Concessions $10, $14
Toronto, ON
Treasures of a Desert Kingdom
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
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
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
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
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.
17/11/2018 – 29/03/2020
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
Jacksonville, FL
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection
cummermuseum.org/visit/art/exhibitionA 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 of the media available to artists and designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—glass, ceramic, metalwork, jewelry, 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 lifetime, and continues to be highly sought after today. This exhibition revels in the artistry and craftsmanship of the Tiffany artworks from Chicago’s distinguished Richard H. Driehaus Collection, highlighting masterworks never before presented in a comprehensive exhibition.
18/10/2019 – 5/01/2020
Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32204
Wednesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m, Tuesday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Adults $10, Concessions $6
New York, NY
The Colmar Treasure: A Medieval Jewish Legacy
metmuseum.org/exhibitionsA cache of jewelled rings, brooches, and coins — the precious possessions of a Jewish family of medieval Alsace — was hidden in the 14th century in the wall of a house in Colmar, France. Discovered in 1863, the Colmar Treasure revives the memory of a once-thriving Jewish community that was scapegoated and put to death when the Plague struck the region with devastating ferocity in 1348–49. A generous loan of the Musée de Cluny, Paris, the Colmar Treasure will be displayed alongside select works from The Met Cloisters and little-known Judaica from collections in the United States and France. Although the objects on view are small in scale and relatively few in number, the ensemble overturns conventional notions of medieval Europe as a monolithic Christian society. The exhibition will point to both legacy and loss, underscoring the prominence of the Jewish minority community in the tumultuous 14th century and the perils it faced.
22/07/2019 - 12/01/2020
The Met Cloisters
99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040
Open daily. March – October: 10:00 am – 5:15 pm, November – February: 10:00 am – 4:45 pm.
Adults: $25, Concessions $17/$12
Washington, DC
Good As Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women
closing soon
africa.si.edu/exhibitions/In the cities of the West African nation of Senegal, stylish women have often used jewellery as part of an overall strategy of exhibiting their elegance and prestige. Rooted in the Wolof concept of sañse (dressing up, looking and feeling good), Good As Gold examines the production, display, and circulation of gold in Senegal as it celebrates a significant gift from art historian Marian Ashby Johnson of over 250 works of West African jewellery to the National Museum of African Art’s collection. A catalogue featuring Johnson’s collection of Senegalese gold jewellery will be released to coincide with the opening of the exhibition. It will include new photography of key works in the collection and exhibition; trace the history of gold in Senegal, documenting the techniques, materials and practices of goldsmiths; and will reveal the inspirational and economic roles of women in commissioning, trading and fashioning Senegalese jewellery. Johnson has contributed an essay to the catalogue on the history of gold in West Africa, Senegalese goldsmiths and their collaboration with women in the region.
24/10/2018 - 29/09/2019
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.
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.
ASIA
CHINA
Shanghai
Tiffany & Co. Vision & Virtuosity
closing soon
fosunfoundation.comTiffany & Co. announces a new exhibition opening in Shanghai, China, “Vision & Virtuosity,” celebrating the legendary jeweller’s greatest creative masterpieces. The first of its kind for Tiffany, “Vision & Virtuosity” was conceived as a journey through history, an exploration of Tiffany’s brand codes and a glimpse of what’s to come. It’s an immersive view into the acclaimed house that honors its past while revealing the importance of this unique history to the present. Shanghai, a global capital with a rich cultural heritage and international influence, is a fitting destination for an exhibition of this caliber. “Vision & Virtuosity” transports visitors to an imaginative world that showcases the most important objects from The Tiffany Archive. The exhibition’s installations contextualize the brand’s trailblazing moments, documenting the numerous “Tiffany firsts” such as the introduction of the modern engagement ring, the Tiffany® Setting.
23/09/2019 - 10/11/2019
Fosun Foundation (Shanghai)
600 Zhongshan East 2nd Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 200010
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-18:00
ISRAEL
Jerusalem
Jewelry Making: Past & Present
closing soon
islamicart.co.il/english/EventsJewellery making is a language. It is a language whose vocabulary comprises different metals, precious stones and new and contemporary materials. They all combine in an infinite number of ways, like words that join together to form sentences. The Jewelry Making exhibition presents a dialogue between culture, religion, past and present, across a timeline of around a millennium. Then first section features jewellery making works associated with the world’s three main monotheistic religions, which were designed to be used for cult or ritual purposes. The second section of the exhibition engages in contemporary jewellery making. 45 Israeli jewelry makers were asked by the museum to create jewelry works inspired by the museum’s Islamic jewelry collection. The third part of the exhibition will present jewellery that belonged to the late singer Ofra Hazza. These are traditional jewellery items from Yemenite Jewry made especially for her by Benzion David, an 8th-generation descendant of jewellery makers from Najran in north Yemen. The exhibition will also include jewellery made by Bedouin jewellery makers Hussein Awad and his son Mansour, from the Jabalia tribe.
30/05/2019 - 16/11/2019
The Museum for Islamic Art
2 Hapalmach St. Jerusalem
Mon-Wed: 10:00-15:00, Thursday: 10:00-19:00, Friday-Saturday: 10:00-14:00
Adults 40 NIS, Concessions 20 NIS.
QATAR
Doha
Magnificent Jewels of Jean Schlumberger: From the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Collection
qm.org.qa/en/magnificent-jewels-of-jean-schlumbergerAfter emerging as a popular costume jeweller in Parisian high society in the late 1930s, Schlumberger opened an independent shop in New York City. Within a decade, he had earned a devoted clientele and his own salon at Tiffany & Co.’s iconic Fifth Avenue headquarters. As a signature designer for the American luxury jewellery firm for more than 30 years, Schlumberger became well known for his interpretations of animal and botanical subjects, particularly marine life and flowers, which are among the highlights of the Rachel Lambert Mellon Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), the largest and most comprehensive public collection of jewellery and art objects by Jean Schlumberger.
15/10/2019 - 15/01/2020
National Museum of Qatar
Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Sun-Weds: 9am-7pm, Thurs & Sat: 9am-9pm, Fri: 1:30-9pm
Adults QR 50.
Doha
Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts
mia.org.qa/en/set-in-stoneIn celebration of the 2019 Year of Culture Qatar-India, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is delighted to present an exhibition on magnificent gems and jewellery from India. Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts will showcase more than 100 spectacular pieces from across Qatar Museums’ collection, including many masterpieces that have never been displayed before. Drawing from MIA’s permanent collection, the National Museum of Qatar, and Qatar Museum’s Orientalist Collection, this exhibition will bring together a splendid array of jewellery, jewelled objects, works on paper, and photography, including highlights such as MIA’s famous gold and gem-set falcon and the brilliant diamond necklace from Varanasi. Whether left in their natural state, carved, or set within gold, precious stones adorned a variety of objects that came to be associated with the wealthy elite, Emperors and Maharajas. Spectacularly opulent, these objects defined Indian luxury. The exhibition’s journey begins with ancient mines and ends with contemporary Qatari jewellery. Starting with “Precious Stones”, the visitor discovers the cultural and economic significance of stones in India before then experiencing the rich role gems play within the “Court and Ceremony” of the Mughal Empire. The third section, “Beyond the Court” shows the personal, private and devotional function of jewellery, highlighting the amazing diversity of craftsmanship across India. Lastly, “Qatar Connection: Pearls for Gold” illustrates the longstanding cultural and commercial ties between Qatar and India, as seen through jewellery.
23/10/2019 - 18/01/2020
Museum of Islamic Art
Corniche, Doha, Qatar
Saturday - Thursday 9:00am to 7:00pm, Friday 1:30pm to 7:00pm
Adults QR 50.