Glitz and Glam

When you are in space and look up, the highest place in your gaze is the ceiling. In all cultures painted ceilings – be it Dunhuang cave ceilings, the Sistine Chapel or royal palaces – are most often symbolic representations of the skies, since heavens have always been the repository of people’s innermost hopes, desires and dreams. The Zaojing Ceiling, the essence of Dunhuang mural art. The continuous and changing flowers and plants, together with the auspicious animals and the delicate flying human, are cleverly arranged into a square algae well. Today, it still has a splendid beauty.

In a time of elegance and etiquette, duels and balls, debutantes and Dukes found love in the ballrooms and across formal gardens of Europe. Novelists, composers, poets, and artists thrived in this Romantic Movement of social change; inspired by Ingres, Gainsborough, J.W.M. Turner and Constable. Fashion was high and the music was loud, gardens bloomed, and trends paved a way for enduring traditions.

The crown jewels reveal the grandeur of a dynasty. Carefully carved, their beauty tells the story of the past as the glitzy light of the pearls show the outstanding craft skills, as well as miraculous ceramic art and wearable creations. As we dive into a treasure box of precious royal emblems around the world, let us invite you to the ceremonial celebrations!