The man is as discreet as he has a taste for beautiful things. And that’s great ! A collector of the finest jewels, his collection includes a significant number of royal jewels from all over Europe, as well as the largest collection of historic tiaras in private hands, and founder of the Albion Art Jewelry Institute, the man has chosen Paris for the September launch of his event book, which will be accompanied by an ephemeral exhibition that promises to be dazzling.
1- A reference book
“For me, who has been collecting and studying jewellery for over forty years like a pilgrim guided by beauty, there could be no greater pleasure than to see these jewels, masterpieces emanating from the almost magical talents of master jewellers magnifying precious crystals, an occasion for contemplation, a source of emotion, a divine ode to their splendour” Kazumi Arikawa
Divided into ten thematic chapters, Divins Joyaux. In Search of Beauty presents a selection of works ranging from cameos and intaglios from Antiquity to nineteenth-century naturalistic pieces. Each jewel generates a dialogue between the scientific approach of historian Diana Scarisbrick, co-author of the book, and the collector’s vision.
Kazumi Arikawa has been collecting jewellery for forty years. For the man who was a Buddhist monk for many years, jewellery can be summed up as a quest for beauty and the ultimate. His collection is akin to a spiritual journey, and each piece bears witness to a remarkable level of craftsmanship.
The Albion Art collection has created its own legend, and this eagerly-awaited book offers a previously unpublished account of the collector’s career, his passion for jewellery and his discerning tastes, enabling him to make the most informed choice possible of the objects that will become part of the collection. The book presents 250 pieces, accompanied by superb photographs by Nils Herrmann and texts by Diana Scarisbrick.
Priced at 95 euros and published by Flammarion, this is a must-have for your bookshelf. It’s a must-have!
2- An ephemeral exhibition
Gold, enamel, horn, mother-of-pearl, topaz
Signed LALIQUE. Private collection. Photo : Ⓒ Albion Art Jewellery Institute
About 1909. Platinum, diamonds. Private collection. Photo : Ⓒ Albion Art Jewellery Institute
About 1440-1452. Gold, sapphire. Private collection. Photo : Ⓒ Albion Art Jewellery Institute
Platinum, diamonds. Private collection. Photo : Ⓒ Albion Art Jewellery Institute
To celebrate the publication of the book, L’École des Arts Joailliers is hosting an exhibition of some twenty pieces from the collection of Mr Kazumi Arikawa. This event, which promises to be as intimate as it is exceptional, offers the chance to discover some of the collection’s key pieces in a magnificent venue: the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, located on the Grands Boulevards in Paris’s 9th arrondissement.
For eight days, from 19 to 26 September, the hotel’s grand salon will offer you the chance to lay your eyes on museum pieces spanning several centuries of jewellery history and symbolising the finest of each era.
Take a look at this 15th-century sapphire intaglio. The only ring bearing the effigy of the monarch Frederick III to have survived, this jewel is distinguished by the shape of its ring, two branches of a gnarled tree, a naturalistic motif much favoured in Gothic art and introduced into jewellery in the early 15th century. Let yourself be seduced by the remarkable pieces by René Lalique that are particularly present in Kazumi Arikawa’s collection like the Branche de Saule comb-diadem. This Art Nouveau masterpiece deserve your undivided attention.
If you’re a fan of royal jewellery, the set from the royal house of Hohenzollern is stunning in its execution, its balance, its opulence and the quality of the pink topaz used to make this set. A rare example of a complete royal set, this set of jewels from the royal house of Hohenzollern has the extraordinary distinction of having been worn by seven generations of sovereigns and princesses, passing from mother to daughter through dynastic succession. The lineage is prestigious: Queen Louise of Prussia (1776-1810), Louise of Prussia, Princess of the Netherlands (1808-1870), Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway (1828-1871), Louise of Sweden, Queen of Denmark (1851-1926), Louise of Denmark, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe (1875-1906), Marie-Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Prussia (1897-1938) and Princess Louise of Prussia (1917-2009).
You will need to register to visit the exhibition. There will be guided tours led by art historian-teachers from the École des Arts Joailliers. I don’t know about you, but I already know what I’ll be doing on 19 September!
See you there!
