Germany Pearls Diamond Fashion Gold Jewelry.
By Aamir Mannan.
This emphasis on geography and history is best reflected in the wise choice of display cases. The exhibition begins with natural marvels in ancient cabinets of curiosities, and continues with 19th century safes that enshrine treasures from Renaissance to Art Nouveau. On the safes, semi-effaced lettering spells ‘Singapore,’ ‘Hamburg,’ and ‘Altona’ – scraps of a lively trade which exude a fascinating aura. Yet, their secrets are locked well shut: unfortunately, the museum lost the opportunity to feed the visitors’ curiosity, for no further information is given regarding the safes’ provenance.
As centuries go by and the show progresses, visitors encounter a variety of different designs. Renaissance drawings characterised by typical three pearls pendants give way to George III’s cobalt blue coat buttons, while the black-dyed pearls of an ever-mourning Queen Victoria metamorphose in the flowers and insects of Lalique’s Art Nouveau designs. The only constant is the soaring price of natural pearls, which became increasingly rare as American seabeds turned into deserts due to excessive fishing.
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