“Life can exist only thanks to aesthetic wonders”: thus poets are able, with a single verse, to express the whirlpool of a woman’s
regard, caught and then lost among the city throngs, after visiting a jewel exhibition. A jewel exhibition is the highest sublimation of
female eroticism. It is Eros and Thanatos, ésprit de la vie: it makes everything possible. It is the beginning of seduction, a rose that
does not yet begin to equal l’espace d’un matin, a lily that has not yet reached its icy purity, but is simply diaphanous in its
whiteness, the moon that, to divine goldsmiths’ eyes is still indolent. That jewel, oh, that jewel …! The woman is now an apparition:
chair froid et pâle où vivent les divinités, and she enthralls time with a cloud of charm; that jewel sublimates her essence, the angels,
too, are delirious, and love’s secret obsession slowly unravels. It is the memory of heart jolts, soul quivers, cheek rosiness, will-o’-
the-wisps wandering between sinful variations and happy faithfulness. It is an emotion of lights, a paradise regained in a languor. It is
luxury, and one that is not new to desire, that sends the blue ray from its heart: gold, charm, splendour, flight. It is the dejà vu of
dances, erotic and daring like rock'n roll, “chez l’amour”: the moon is a ballerina. It is a tale of melancholy, of aching languor: my
love, that… jewel shall be mine? It is the start of Beauty as a dolled up woman, as fashion wonders suspended on the ecstasy of
looks.
In the last few years, the “Federico Buccellati’s Art” collection, an exhibition made itinerant by brilliant intuition, has visited all the
continents, in a series of memorable events, often reaching places where man’s sign for art was, and had to be, “the heart of beauty
for eternity”, such as centuries old castles, now museums, and is the Only One that was approved by the various States for its
historical and artistic value. It can now be said, with perfect truth, that the exhibition sponsored by the BSI banking group is a
première. For the first time, the “Federico Buccellati’s Art” collection is shown in its entirety, made of jewels and preparatory
sketches; those sketches that are the “preview royalty” of the designs of the Federico Buccellati house.
The Buccellati’s Art collection was developed in the course of years, and does not follow any chronological principle. The
“Buccellati’s Art” collection curators, indeed, were not interested in looking for, finding and purchasing jewels or other creations of
the past at random, and putting them in their historical context later on. Federico Buccellati’s high jewellery and, in particular, his
antique pieces, are the expression of absolute Art, a gift of nature that can lead to supreme enlightenment. The “Buccellati’s Art”
collection is often shown to the public in an actual show. The jewels, safe in their custom-made caskets, are waiting to be shown as
luxury exhibitions. Like when a curtain rises, visitors are tempted to hold their breath, the better to appreciate these exhibits,
suspended between heaven and earth. Silence …! One finds oneself speechless, in front of Beauty. Beauty wraps around time, in an
“issue one” atmosphere, so as to be Alone, to be loved, even for a little while, to be appreciated, to become and remain an Icon. The
Federico Buccellati jewellery house goes beyond popular consumerism, thanks to its pure creativity. Every creation is Unique. Like
air, earth, water and fire, a Buccellati jewel is the essence of Beauty. Other jewellers need to rediscover the concept of purity. The
valorisation of high jewellery is a way to attain absolute Beauty. The Federico Buccellati jewellery house creates jewels to portray
the essence of life. For the “Buccellati’s Art” collection curators the end goal has always been the creation of a collection of pieces of
the highest jewellery. Looking for and finding jewels based on their design, the care bestowed on them, the intensity of the piece or
the expression of an emotion: from jewel design to its realisation in the atelier there is a continuity of creation that makes of the final
object a masterpiece. The object’s quality is such that it transcends the actual period during which it was designed. Thus the
“Buccellati’s Art” collection has that something that makes a collection magical: make-up for the soul.
Exhibition pictures as ornaments.
Jewels as body ornaments and jewels as exhibits, to satisfy that dark and subtle pleasure of being ready to reveal one’s presence,
one’s own special ability to others, of feeling seductive. Jewels, indeed, belong to the world of emotions and love. One usually thinks
that men and women use them as seduction weapons. Does not the femme fatale glide solemnly, haughty and tempting, laden with
jewels, which she flaunts like trophies? Salomé, with her jewels, had a king, but also any other man would have, exclaim: ce soir ou
jamais. And what about the Belle Dame Sans Merci, who has no ornament? Well, she is the symbol of the sleep of seduction,
without hope of awakening, is she not? These examples highlight the complexity of a jewel: “The royalty of the luxury” or of the
emerging of wonder and astonishment. To penetrate the mysteries of a jewel means to penetrate the iconology of love. It means
preserving a being’s beauty, like a creator of happiness.
The completion of this analysis of jewels, beauty and seduction that starts from Federico Buccellati’s jewels and their subsequent
mise en scène by the BSI banking group is game of spiritual enjoyment. Federico Buccellati is not simply the most famous “haute
couture” goldsmith in the world: in his wonderful atelier, every object is a Unique work of art. A jewel may be repeated, maybe, but
in Federico Buccellati’s atelier there is the genius of poets, and when one of his jewels is worn, it brings out that body’s essence.
This is the proof that the most exclusive genius can be embodied through the goldsmith’s art, with profound originality that
nevertheless does not overlook the practical aspects. This is the lesson of originality tempered by rigour that all old and new
jewellery houses should learn. If the work of high jewellery proceeds, season after season, by successive fractures that create a style
through the succession of transgressions and dramatic turns, it is certainly the Federico Buccellati house that has the merit of having
invented this continuous transgression principle: to sublimate in order to charm, to astonish in order to shock. “Beauty shall be
frantic, or shall not be …” André Breton wrote. In its own way, the Federico Buccellati house is faithful to this principle, offering us
the best synthesis thereof. I am sure that there are two words that, as far as the Federico Buccelllati house is concerned, are
forbidden: Art and Impossibility.
The BSI banking group – and their past exhibitions had already evidenced their full commitment to Art for Art’s Sake, so that Beauty
can become a thrill that turns the soul on, like a comet’s tail made of two fresh roses picked in heaven – with this “Gilded Pleasures –
Confidential scenes of eternal jewels”, exhibition held in its various offices, surprises and intoxicates the viewer all the more with the
scent of beauty and grace: a triumphant jus that sings the rapture of the spirit and the senses.
At the “Gilded Pleasures – Confidential scenes of eternal jewels” exhibition, the viewer’s look shall go from jewel to jewel, spanning
over brooches, earrings, necklaces, rings, pins, and on to powder compacts, evening bags, purses, accessories. Everywhere is a
seduction elixir. Soul, everything is a luxury: enamels, cameos and much more, amber, lapis, sapphires, rubies and diamond tiaras.
The essence of pleasure for the happiness of sight.
The catalogue of the exhibition shall offer more in-depth details on the techniques adopted. But, the most important thing is that the
perception of a reinterpretation on the theme of appeal, seduction, mystery and the emotion of Federico Buccelllati’s limited-edition
jewels shall shine through.
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