Maison Chaumet, the renowned French luxury jewelry house established in 1780, has collaborated with M7, Qatar Museums, and Qatar Creates to arrange Chaumet & Nature: Nature-Inspired Jewellery Since 1780, an exhibition celebrating the house’s vision of botany and the beauty of nature. Inaugurated by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Chairperson of Qatar Museums) and Charles Leung (CEO Chaumet), the show is on view at M7, Msheireb Downtown Doha and set to captivate visitors until 19 December 2024.
Curated by Maison Chaumet, the exhibition is a project rooted in the Qatar–France 2020 Year of Culture, a programme of collaborations between institutions across both countries. The showcase presents 107 splendid jewellery pieces and 111 works from Chaumet and Qatar Museums’ collections.
Maison Chaumet’s iconic use of natural motifs, such as botanical ones inspired by everyday flora and unexpected elements like laurel and palm trees, is explored through five sections: Preserving Nature, Drawing Nature, Observing Nature, Living in Nature, and Diving in Nature.
Preserving Nature examines Chaumet’s history of nature-inspired designs, from the work of founder Marie-Etienne Nitot and his son to the house’s contemporary creations. Drawing Nature showcases jewellery sketches from Chaumet’s extensive collection of 66,000 drawings, offering a glimpse into the artistic process. Observing Nature tells about how the Maison interprets symbolic motifs sublimating individual species, such as wheat, oak, and laurel, to transpose universal values into jewellery. Living in Nature is dedicated to the animal kingdom, another source of Chaumet’s inspiration. The house’s creations offer a rich bestiary featuring an array of figures, from birds, exotic animals, and insects. The last section, Diving in Nature, delves into the underwater world and highlights Chaumet’s use of pearls, honouring Qatar’s pearl-diving heritage.
Standout exhibits include the Map of Qatar, a Chaumet masterpiece gifted by His Majesty King Hassan II of Morocco to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. Crafted from blue aventurine, red jasper, and gold, the piece incorporates detailed depictions of cities, ports, and ships.
One can also marvel at an exquisite tiara designed by Marie-Etienne Nitot for Joséphine Bonaparte, a devoted botanist and the Maison’s first great client. The piece is adorned with wheat motifs swaying as if in the wind. On display is also the Henckel von Donnersmarck Emerald Tiara (1900) designed by Joseph Chaumet. The eleven emeralds, which weigh over 500 carats and boast a perfect shade of green, allegedly belonged to Empress Eugénie of France.
Chaumet & Nature also highlights contributions from Qatari creatives. Poet Salman Bin Khalid has written a poem titled Treasures of the Earth for the exhibition, in which he emphasises the role of language in connecting nature, beauty, and art. Contemporary artist Shouq Al Mana was commissioned by the Maison to produce a unique piece for the show. Titled Altawash, the artwork illustrates Qatar’s pearl-diving traditions and spotlights Chaumet’s admiration for the ocean. In addition, graphic designer Zainab AlShibani created Chaumet’s new Arabic logo, now featured in the brand’s Middle Eastern flagship stores.
To get more information about Chaumet & Nature: Nature-Inspired Jewellery Since 1780, please visit the official web page of the show.
Additionally, you might be interested in viewing Ziena Splendor of the Indian Courts, an exhibition organised by the Sharjah Museums Authority available online. Besides, we would also recommend that you attend the Dubai Pearl Museum.
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