Paris, Capitale de la Perle [Paris, Capital of the Pearl]
Exposition “Paris, Capitale de la Perle”
Qui ne connaît la perle, recherchée depuis la haute Antiquité et source d’inspiration des plus grands joailliers modernes ? Mais qui sait qu’elle fut au coeur d’un intense commerce entre le golfe Arabo-Persique et la France entre la fin du XIXe siècle et le milieu du XXe siècle ? Qui surtout se souvient qu’elle fut pendant des décennies au coeur de l’industrie du luxe et de la culture parisienne ?
C’est l’histoire oubliée d’une incroyable aventure artistique, commerciale et humaine que conte l’exposition « Paris, Capitale de la Perle », organisée par L’École des Arts Joailliers du 21 novembre 2024 au 1 juin 2025.
Exhibition “Paris, Capital of the Pearl”
Who does not know the pearl, sought after since ancient times and a source of inspiration for the greatest modern jewelers? But who knows that it was at the heart of an intense trade between the Arabian-Persian Gulf and France between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century? Who especially remembers that for decades it was at the heart of the luxury industry and Parisian culture?
It is the forgotten story of an incredible artistic, commercial and human adventure that the exhibition “Paris, Capital of the Pearl” tells, organized by L’École des Arts Joailliers from November 21, 2024 to June 1, 2025.
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By author Léonard Pouy, Art Historian, Ph.D. | L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts,
… with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels
PARIS, CITY OF PEARLS
How did Paris rise to the top of the global pearl trade one century ago?
Why did such a thriving market disappear?
And above all, how is it that there is no longer any memory of this golden age of pearls?
In addition to unraveling this biomineral and its long history with mankind, this book shows how pearls inspired Paris jewelers and, more broadly, the city’s artists. All seem indeed to have been driven by one same “pearl mania”, and whatever their medium, be it opera, cinema, painting, photography, posters or illustrated magazines, all contributed to making pearls a visual icon of the Roaring Twenties.
EDITIONS NORMA
L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Tap here for more details about the book!
En français et en anglais
