Van Cleef & Arpel, the National Palace Museum, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris to Celebrate the Beauty of the East and West in Taiwan

Recently, there has been an exquisite exhibition in Taipei of treasures from the East and the West,the exhibition named “Beauty speaks for itself”, which is collaborated by the National Palace Museum, the Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and High Jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. , the stunning treasures have brought us to new heights for aesthetics and craftsmanship.

While we huddle indoors to keep warm in winter, stepping outside to catch a breath of fresh air makes us exclaim, “This is what breathing is like.

Admiring exquisite objects can also bring a fresh and exhilarating feeling to the unchanging routine! It can also be a journey through time across the ages of treasures. Beauty speaks for itself.

Sustainable wonders of culture and aesthetics are passed down by treasured collections

The National Palace Museum in Taipei has treasured its collection of treasures for centuries, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the Louvre in Paris, in collaboration with the design brand Van Cleef Arpel, has organized Beauty speaks for itself. This is the first major exhibition to connect design and craftsmanship across the East and West over hundreds of years, with more than 100 sets of treasures in five exhibition areas. Since the exhibition opened, it has attracted countless visitors.

For the first time, 261 rare treasures from the East and the West from all over the world are on display together

The “Beauty speaks for itself” exhibition follows a thematic exploration, bringing together the expertise of the National Palace Museum curatorial team, Béatrice Quette, curator and head of the Asian and Islamic collections at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and Alexandrine Maviel Sonet, director of collections and exhibitions at Van Cleef & Arpels. The exhibition features 96 pieces from the National Palace Museum, 80 pieces from the Museum of Decorative Arts and 85 pieces from the Van Cleef & Arpels collection, showcasing the timeless charm of art without borders. Although these collections span both ancient and modern times and both the East and the West, the curatorial team has carefully arranged the exhibits into five sections based on their materials, craftsmanship and visual styles: “Nature,” “Movement ,” “Fantasy,” “Secrets” and “Colors.”
Among them, the precious star exhibit of the National Palace Museum, the Jadeite Cabbage, is located at the end of the exhibition as the last exhibit, and the rare Rodin ceramic sculpture from 1883 is on display at the entrance. The two treasures have caused a wave of enthusiasm for the exhibition.

Through the beauty of humanities and craftsmanship, we can glimpse the beginning of eternity

In the contemporary world, we can look back to ancient nature through the top notch craftsmanship of cultural masterpieces. The first section of exhibition focuses on “nature” and showcases the artist’s capture of the ever-changing beauty of nature. The second section explores the “moving and static forms”, and through the media and shapes of the exhibits, it shows the diverse postures and sense of movement of the works. The works in the third section, “fantasy”, unveil the illusory and magical extraordinary world, revealing one after another strange and precious beasts or surprising fantasy creatures, reflecting the unique imagination of different cultures and eras about all things in the universe. The fourth focuses on the “mysterious and unpredictable,” including exhibits whose functions are not immediately apparent to the viewer, and which require careful analysis and insight to understand their mysteries. They may even contain hidden uses that can change their appearance, or embody mysterious and wonderful craftsmanship. Finally, the fifth section, “Colors,” showcases a colorful and diverse color vocabulary, presenting the meaning and interpretation of colors in different time and space contexts.

The five main sections of the exhibition are connected by similar themes, showcasing unique artistic creativity and creating a fascinating visual feast. It bears witness to the rich heritage of traditional craftsmanship and demonstrates the important role of cross-cultural exchange in historical development. Through an immersive and colorful poetic exhibition design conceived by architect 田根剛 (ATTA – Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects), one can explore extraordinary craftsmanship in an artistic atmosphere.

From the Qing imperial collection to the romance of French decorative art, each art work of the exhibit has its own story, background, and the sentiment of the times, refined by the passage of time. The craftsmanship is so profound that we can submerge ourselves in the beauty.