LUXE DE POCHE : PETITS OBJETS PRÉCIEUX AU SIÈCLE DES LUMIÈRES

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• AuthorCollectif
• PublisherParis Musées
• Date of publicationAvril 2024
• Language(s)French
• IllustrationsColour, b&w ill.
• Pages96
• DescriptionPaperback
• Price (VAT incl.)19.90 €
• AvailabilityShipping within 48 hours

Exhibition at the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris, 28 March - 29 September 2024

Small luxury items, known in the 18th century as "boxes" or "jewels", were all the rage during the Age of Enlightenment, in France and throughout Europe.

Made of gold, enriched with hard or precious stones, covered with mother-of-pearl, porcelain or translucent enamels, and sometimes decorated with miniatures, these luxury objects par excellence crystallised the "small" virtuosity of the best goldsmiths. They were the source of some fabulous inventions: a miniature pistol was used as a perfume atomiser, a wax case took the form of a porcelain asparagus spear, and a sucker became a dromedary in sculpted agate... These boxes and 'jewels' were sometimes consumed on an unbridled scale and played an integral part in the rituals of elite sociability, which were particularly codified in the 18th century.

This exhibition catalogue brings together 260 pieces, including masterpieces by some of the greatest names in luxury goldsmithing during the Age of Enlightenment: Joseph-Étienne Blerzy, Paul-Nicolas Ménière, Johann-Christian Neuber... Alongside a selection of works from the Ernest Cognacq collection, there are prestigious pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Price (VAT incl.) : 19.90 €