Back on March 2nd, #BINUSINPARIS visited Galerie des Bijoux at MAD, Paris. 

Not too big of a room on the museum’s second floor, Galerie des Bijoux becomes a home for around 1200 pieces that serve as an overview of the jewelry history dated back from the Middle Ages to the present day. Designed by an architect Roberto Ostinelli, the gallery showcases rings, necklaces, bracelets, and brooches. The whole pieces were divided into two spaces on both sides of the grand staircase coming from the entrance of the ground floor. One side houses the antique pieces and the other houses the contemporary collection. 

Jewelries are presented behind large glass windows covering the gallery walls completely. Quoted from MAD’s website, the display begins with pieces from Middle Ages and Renaissance and continues with beautiful pieces from the eighteenth century and nineteenth. Outstanding creations from Georges Fouquet, Lucien Gaillard, Raymond Templier, Jean Fouquet and the great jewelry houses like Cartier and Boucheron are seen on the glass walls illustrating the Art Nouveau and Art Deco era. 

Coming to the other side of the gallery, the presentation continues from the 1940s on wards with creations from French designers such as Alexander Calder, Henri Laurens and Alber Duraz. Also, minimalist designs from the 1960s and 1970s are showcased. These include the pieces from Jean Dinh Van, Costanza, Henri Gargat, and Ettore Sottass. The gallery also highlights the range of raw materials for jewelry making, from gold, stones to organc materials like ivory, horn or even fish scales. Lastly, there’s a section devoted to various stages in the jewelry design and production as well as its various typologies.