Exhibition puts stage jewelry in the spotlight

Theater company displays collection curated over centuries to share its historic value, Zhang Kun reports.

Crowns symbolizing glory and supreme power, daggers indicating murder and danger, and garments decorated with exotic embroidery are showcased in a new exhibition at L'ECOLE China, School of Jewelry Arts in Shanghai. The exhibition explores the dramatic stories staged at Comedie-Francaise, an esteemed theater company in Paris.

Held from May 1 to Oct 7 at the Twin Villas — a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage award-winning architectural structure at No 796, Middle Huaihai Road in downtown Shanghai — the exhibition Stage Jewels of the Comedie-Francaise brings French theater history to life through more than 100 stage jewels, documents, and artifacts curated from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

Comedie-Francaise is a renowned theater company in Paris and is recognized as the world's longest-established national theater. It has been at the heart of French theatrical tradition for over three centuries, performing a rich repertoire that blends classical and contemporary works.

In 2017, Comedie-Francaise approached L'ECOLE, an institution supported by a luxury jewelry house, seeking help with its collection of stage jewelry built over centuries. "We started working with them on their collection from a more historical perspective, documenting each of the objects using technical and restorative techniques," Lise Macdonald, the institution's president, tells China Daily.