Intermediatheque 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition “Birds in Paradise”
→Press Release: PDF file［10.2MB］
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of its opening, JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE is holding the special exhibition “Birds in Paradise.” This exhibition is the tenth instalment of the Intermediatheque Natural History series.
The present exhibition is organized by the University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT) and L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, an initiation school aiming to introduce the public to all aspects of jewelry culture and created in 2012 with the support of the French High Jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. It will present historical masterpieces of jewelry with birds as a motif, alongside first-grade Natural History specimens including bird taxidermy specimens as well as related scientific documents. Jewelry, Natural History specimens, drawings: with this dialogue between birds, both real and rendered through various means of expression, we will both explore how birds have been described scientifically and researched upon, and how they have been depicted through drawings, to see how these forms of expression inspired the craftsmanship of jewelry.
These richly ornamental birds, crafted according to the highest techniques onto the most precious materials, can be seen as a summit of crafts. On the other hand, in order to understand the jewelry artists’ viewpoints, it is essential to turn to the actual birds that inspired them in creating their works. For the first time in Japan, about one hundred masterpieces of jewelry depicting birds crafted by various artists and maisons, from the mid-19th century to the contemporary era, will be shown alongside a selection of essential Natural History specimens from the collections of the University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT) as well as the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. From this selection, we will focus on historical specimens and drawings of birds, thus staging a dialogue on birds from the perspective of Art and Science.
In this exhibition, the visitors will also be able to know more about the biological meaning of the diversity in bird coloration and plumage, and how that has inspired human design, while experiencing the enigmatic evolution of birds defying human imagination. From the standpoint of Natural Sciences, we will also focus on the birds of paradise – which partly inspired the exhibition title. Birds of paradise are aptly named because of their sheer beauty, but this poetic name hides a complex history with many legends, also pertaining to their preservation.
The scenography of the present exhibition will fittingly transform the Intermediatheque into a poetic space developing from night birds to daytime birds and then to birds of fantasy, going from obscurity to light and then to a world of fantasy.
Key Information
[Title] Intermediatheque 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition “Birds in Paradise”
[Dates] January 20 – May 7, 2023
[Opening Hours] 11:00 – 18:00 (open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays) *Opening hours may change.
[Closed on] Mondays (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a National Holiday), February 20-27. May close irregularly.
[Venue] Intermediatheque 3F
[Organizers] The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT) + L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels
[Cooperation] Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
[Support] Van Cleef & Arpels
[Curation] Intermediatheque Department (UMUT) + Department of International Design Studies (UMUT)
[Admission] Free of charge
[Address] KITTE 2-3F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
[Access] JR lines and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line Tokyo Station (Marunouchi South Exit). Nijubashimae Station (Exit 4) on the Chiyoda Line (about 2 minutes on foot).
Exhibition Page
http://www.intermediatheque.jp/en/schedule/view/id/IMT0257
Publications
Exhibition catalogue
Exhibition guide
Card leaflet
Flyer
Poster
Contact
* (a) should be retyped as @
Information on the Special Exhibition “Birds in Paradise” and on Intermediatheque:
birdsinparadise(a)intermediatheque.jp
Press contact for information on L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and on Van Cleef & Arpels:
van_cleef_and_arpels_pr_japan(a)vancleefarpels.com
Main Exhibits
Gustave Baugrand, Peacock Brooch
c. 1865 / Pearl, diamonds, sapphires and rubies, emeralds, gold / Private collection
Charles Mellerio, Peacock Brooch
c. 1910 / Diamonds, enamel / Private collection
Van Cleef & Arpels, Bird Brooch
1920s / Diamonds, emeralds, onyx, green feathers, platinum / Private collection
Pierre Sterlé, Bird Brooch
Yellow gold, platina, diamonds / Private collection
Mauboussin, Quetzal Brooch
1960s / Chased and guilloché yellow gold, sapphires and engraved sapphires, engraved emeralds, turquoises, diamonds, rubies and engraved rubies / Private collection
Greater Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea apoda)
Date unknown / Taxidermy / The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
Hooded Pitta (Pitta soedida)
Date unknown / Taxidermy / Former collection of Oita Wild Bird Museum / The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
Crowned Pigeon (Goura cristata)
Date unknown / Taxidermy / Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
Kawabe Kakyo, Sketch of Birds
1854-1920 / Color on paper / The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
About L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Founded in 2012 on Place Vendôme in Paris with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE is the first school in the world to open the world of jewelry arts to the general public. In addition to courses, talks and exhibitions held throughout the year at its two permanent campuses in Paris and Hong Kong, special programs are held in major international cities such as Tokyo, New York, and Dubai, expanding the scope of learning to a worldwide scale. L’ÉCOLE also supports research in a variety of ways through exhibitions, publications, partnerships with museums and other academic institutions, online educational videos, and a library specialized in jewelry arts.
https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/jp/en