TEFAF, one of the world’s largest fairs of art, antiques and design takes place every year in Maastricht. Between 10-19 March, it will be bringing together the best art critics and collectors from around the globe to see and purchase works of fine art sourced from over 60 countries. Medieval manuscripts, maps, coins, silverware, porcelain, furniture and articles of fine jewellery are all to be presented at the salons. My interest lies solely with jewellery, so here you’ll get a glimpse of what jewelled masterpieces you can expect to find at TEFAF.
Nature, antiquity, ancient civilization, historical and cultural events from around the world – these are the primary sources of inspiration for the German jeweller Hemmerle. At this year’s TEFAF they will be presenting a unique aluminium cuff-bracelet with sapphires and aquamarines. It is made in the ancient Egyptian style inspired by the Temple of Karnak, which is dedicated to ancient gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The bracelet is paired with rectangular earrings adorned with micromosaic portraits of the Sultan of Egypt – but one example of how the Hemmerle family combines artefacts of the past and contemporary style in its design. In addition to jewellery, visitors of the exhibition will see a unique sculpture created by Dutch architect Tom Post in collaboration with Hemmerle.
The precious pieces created by German jeweller Otto Jakob cannot be attributed to any particular style or period, because they contain elements of the medieval, modern and fantastical. Thanks to the high level of craftsmanship, master jeweller has been appreciated by distinguished artists, art dealers and jewellery collectors. He will be bringing a selection of existing jewellery to TEFAF as well as several new pieces, including the Nef necklace and Noci earrings. The necklace is of blackened gold decorated with two pendants in the form of macaws painted with coloured enamel, and the gold earrings are in the form of branches from a walnut tree. The name Noci is an Italian word which translates as “nuts” and a Russian one that translates as “night” – the earrings are designed for special occasions.
This year, Verdura and Belperron are participating in the Dutch exhibition for the second time and will be showing 30s-40s vintage jewellery alongside a few contemporary works. You will also find the latest collection by Verdura, ‘Out of This World’, inspired by a collaboration between Fulco di Verdura and Salvador Dali in 1941. The bracelet in this collection, the Verdura Dogwood Cuff, is made of yellow gold with black jade, moonstones and sapphires and can be seen below. The most interesting pieces of Belperron jewellery will be those devoted to the first anniversary collection. They are made based on earlier works by the French designer, when in the 1930s she became the artistic and technical director of the Hertz company.
