Van Cleef & Arpels returns to its Art Deco roots with a new jewelry exhibition, Timeless Art Deco with Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry, now open at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. Running from September 27th, 2025 to January 18th, 2026, the project pays tribute to the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts—an event that helped define the Maison’s identity and cemented its reputation in the world of decorative arts.
A century of Art Deco aesthetic
Held in the former residence of Prince Asaka, a striking example of French-influenced Art Deco architecture, the exhibition explores how the Maison’s early designs contributed to the visual language of the movement. Curators describe the show as both a historical reflection and a study in evolving craftsmanship, placing the spotlight on High Jewelry pieces that trace the development of an Art Deco aesthetic from the 1910s through the 1930s.
More than 250 creations, sourced from the Van Cleef & Arpels patrimonial collection and international lenders, are joined by approximately 60 archival documents that illuminate the Maison’s role in this transformative era.
High Jewelry: the beginnings of Art Deco
The opening chapter, dedicated to the Emergence of an Art Deco Aesthetic, revisits the Maison’s earliest High Jewelry designs. Many of these works were praised at the original 1925 exhibition, where Van Cleef & Arpels received prestigious awards for its innovative approach. The display includes bracelets, brooches, and timepieces that highlight the early geometric lines, stylized florals, and precision craftsmanship that would become emblematic of the House.
Jewelry exhibition highlight: volume, light, and modernity
The second section, Evolution Towards a Singular Style, showcases the Maison’s growing interest in sculptural form. Curators note that these pieces reflect a pursuit of volume, three-dimensionality, and structural clarity—qualities deeply aligned with architectural modernism. Diamonds and platinum dominate the palette, recalling the cool purity seen in today’s Snowflake and Flowerlace High Jewelry collections.
Modernism and Functionality
The third chapter examines how the Art Deco movement embraced utility without sacrificing elegance. Here, visitors will find pieces characterized by abstract geometry and practical sophistication, including the famous Minaudière introduced in 1933. Designed as an elevated reinvention of the 1920s vanity case, it combined essential accessories into one refined object—an embodiment of the era’s belief in beauty through function.
A Garden of Savoir-Faire: Art Deco aesthetic meets nature
The exhibition concludes in the museum’s annex with A Garden of Savoir-faire, a poetic celebration of the Maison’s enduring craftsmanship. Five immersive garden scenes reveal jewelry inspired by blossoms, foliage, and animals—motifs that have long defined Van Cleef & Arpels’ High Jewelry creations. From intricate gemstone carvings to technical innovations such as the Mystery Set, this final chapter emphasizes how nature has continued to guide the Maison’s creativity for more than a century.
Timeless Art Deco with Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry offers a rare opportunity to revisit the origins of an aesthetic that reshaped jewelry design and continues to influence the Maison today. Set within one of Tokyo’s most significant Art Deco landmarks, the exhibition bridges past and present, reaffirming the enduring dialogue between artistry, architecture, and adornment.
Photography courtesy of VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
