René Lalique, pin, cir 1910, Musée Lalique, Wingen sur Moder, photo Karine Gaby

Ecole des Arts Joailliers  created by Van Cleef and Arpels, is discreetly housed behind place Vendôme in a posh building where security is high and the staff extremely graceful. It includes a school which anyone interested in gems can attend and a gallery for exhibitions. While entrance to the shows is free you have to register first before going. This time, the theme is “Un art Nouveau”, metamorphosis of jewelry 1880-1914. Curated by Professor Rossella Froissart and Paul Paradis who teaches at the School, it is the 12 th exhibition on rue Daniel Casanova and the last since, from October onwards, the Hotel de Mercy- Argenteau will be the new venue on boulevard Montmartre. The School will remain in its actual premises. A new general director, Elise Gonnet Pon who was based in Hong Kong, will run both entities.

Georges Fouquet, Ornement for a corsage, sea snake with wings, 1902, Tokyo Albion Art Institute, photo Tsuneharu Doi

It is always very mysterious to penetrate this small museum with, this time, a unique collection of art nouveau treasures. René Lalique‘s “Le Baiser du faune” (the kiss of the faune) in gold, glass and enamel was the first bracelet I saw. It is a daring sculpture and is presented next to a coat agrafe in the shape of sea weeds by Boucheron who lent a few pieces. A very different type of beauty. Chrysanthenums and wisteria compete under René Lalique’s talent and are lent by the Richard H. Driehaus collection in Chicago. His winter landscape is also amazing as a pendant and “Femme libellule” created as a cane knob is very lascivious. My favorite pin is “The Forest” with pine branches and pine cones designed by Lucien Hirtz in 1910. The star of the show seems to be a “plaque de cou-broche” a pin to put around the neck also by Lalique which represents a “sylph with wings”. Antony Beaudoin’s pin, “Modestie”, lent by the Schmuckmuseum, in Pforzheim, is charming and mysterious with gingko leaves serving as collar to a red headed beauty.

Agrafe for a coat with sea weed motives, Maison Boucheron

With thirteen exceptional collectors who loaned for the show and almost 100 pieces, I was reminded of the Chaumet “Vegetal” exhibition organized at Ecole des Beaux Art last summer. The growing fascination for botany and science, and the development of travelling which brought exotic plants back to our shores, created a huge movement among designers and decorators at the beginning of the 20 th century, and they used flowers and animals in intimate objects like jewelry.

Elise Gonnet Pon will be the new manager starting in September

This show is on until September 31, at Ecole des Arts Joailliers, 31 rue Danielle Casanova from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 am to 7 pm.Entrance is free but  Booking is mandatory.