A flood, a boat and animals walking two-by-two — the story of Noah’s Ark is one known around the world. In New York City, high-jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels is interpreting the timeless tale in a whimsical yet glamorous exhibition now on display in the US for the first time.
To bring the L’Arche de Noé collection to life, Van Cleef & Arpels called upon illustrious set designer Robert Wilson whose experience staging the fairy tales of Russian writer Alexander Pushkin proved his eye for the fantastical. Wilson was tasked with creating large-scale scenography for the collection, creating a poetic universe for the animal pairs as his debut high-jewelry project.
In Wilson’s vision, the Van Cleef & Arpels pieces come together as a black box lined with jewel cases to evoke the inside of the ‘ark,’ and a video reflects the motion of the sea as music by Arvo Pärt plays. As of today, around 41 animal pairs adorned in pearls, diamonds, fine and hard stones can be seen at the installation in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Van Cleef & Arpels’ tribute to the story of Noah’s Ark and to the animal kingdom with Wilson includes monkeys, horses, exotic birds and beyond. From an early hummingbird clip to yellow-gold winking cats, the house has long been inspired by nature, and L’Arche de Noé racontée par Van Cleef & Arpels continues in that theme. See some of the beautiful pieces from the collection below.
The Van Cleef & Arpels Noah’s Ark installation designed by Robert Wilson will be open through November 19, 2017. The exhibition is located at Cedar Lake, 547 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001. Hours for the exhibit are: Monday, Friday, Saturday from noon to 8pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from noon to 6pm; Sunday from noon to 5pm. For reservations and more information, please visit arkvca.com.
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Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Morpho clips featuring diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, lapis lazuli, turquoise and malachite set in 18K white gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Caméléons clips featuring diamonds, multicolored sapphires and rubies set in 18K yellow gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
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Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Ours Blancs clip featuring diamonds, sapphires, pearls and white mother-of-pearl set in 18K white gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Dromadaires clip featuring diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, spessartite garnets and black spinels set in 18K yellow gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Bisons clips featuring diamonds, yellow sapphires, malachite, lapis lazuli and onyx set in 18K white gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé Libellules clips featuring diamonds, multicolored sapphires, spessartite garnets, spinels and tourmaline set in 18K white and rose gold, price on request, vancleefarpels.com.
