Van Cleef & Arpels Revisits Egypt
With Fascinating Egypt, the French Maison draws inspiration from the culture of the ancient land of the Nile. 180 tell the stories of myths, legends, and the pharaohs who shaped history
What else is there to say about the ancient Egyptian civilization? Probably nothing. Not even when it comes to jewelry, since, in over three thousand years of history, there has been no shortage of items inspired by the unique and instantly recognizable style of a culture that cherished aesthetic decoration to the point of excess and made abundant use of gold and gemstones, both in life and after death. It is therefore no surprise that a company like Van Cleef & Arpels has created an entire collection of 180 pieces, drawing on the lines, decorative motifs and techniques perfected thousands of years ago by master goldsmiths from the fertile land of the Nile. Fascinating Egypt, however, is a journey that also seems to draw inspiration from the brand’s very beginnings back in 1906 during a period marked by enthusiasm for the many archaeological discoveries in the sands of the Egyptian desert, which culminated in 1922 with the extraordinary discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings by British archaeologist Howard Carter. In those years Egyptomania permeated every creative sphere, even influencing the prevailing Art Deco style, a leitmotif that VCA adopted at the time and repeatedly throughout the 20th century, offering cuff bracelets, long sautoir necklaces and brooches, still reinterpreted today, blending the chromatic contrasts and symmetries typical of the Roaring Twenties with the classical iconography of exotic myths and legends. Scarabs, snakes, griffins, silhouettes of dancers, kings, queens, geometric patterns, hieroglyphics, deities with human or animal features: all motifs taken from the frescoes of treasure-filled tombs and palaces, and which are now once again the man feature of wearable goldsmithing masterpieces. Take the Equilibre Sacré convertible earrings with over 5 carats of stunning Zambian emeralds; the Fleur du Nil Mysterieuse ring with a drop-cut diamond of over 11 carats; or the Vénus égyptienne brooch, a semicircle of turquoise and lapis lazuli topped with a clearly Art Deco-inspired motif studded with diamonds. And then the unmistakable silhouette of Cleopatra and a pharaoh, lotus flowers carved from magnificent rubies, rings with mysterious names like Origin of the Sun, Floral Origin and Origin of Water… One hundred eighty pieces that could rival the treasures of legendary pharaohs in beauty and value.
