An Exhibition So Extra It Could Only Be Bvlgari
Only a master jeweler could bring such a kaleidoscope of jewelry halfway across the world. Bvlgari just landed in Tokyo with “Bvlgari Kaleidos: Colors, Cultures and Crafts,” a sweeping exhibition at The National Art Center. With more than 350 pieces on display, it charts the house’s legacy of turning bling into art — and art into bling — at its loudest, most unapologetic scale.
While Van Cleef & Arpels or Cartier might whisper in symbolism or restraint, Bvlgari has always shouted in oversized cabochons, fearless clashes, and saturated stones that burn in their settings. In Tokyo, that signature design language was presented on a gigantic scale.
“The Tokyo exhibition offers an in-depth journey into the world of color, examining its scientific principles, symbolic meanings and emotional impact,” a Bvlgari spokesperson tells Highsnobiety. “Through a wide array of jewels crafted in gemstones, metals, pearls, and other materials, the exhibition also reveals how color is perceived and transformed by light.”
Bvlgari’s in-house icons make an appearance, too, including the archival “Seven Wonders” emerald necklace from 1961. It’s basically a star in its own right, seven Colombian emeralds glowing with a lush green. Platinum settings and diamond frames give it a royal balance, but the aura comes from the women who wore it: legends such as Monica Vitti and Gina Lollobrigida. The necklace has garnered its own star power over the years, touring Bvlgari imprints like a Rolling Stone.
That’s the tone across the whole show. You move from pieces like star-sized emeralds to ’60s sautoirs dripping with amethyst and turquoise to Serpenti jewels coiling in neon color. The Roman brand is also stepping up its horology game with diamond-paved, For-You-Page-friendly Serpenti watches and a spectrum of record-breaking timepieces such as the impossibly thin Octo Finissimo. These pieces keep pulling in new fans while adding to the brand’s opulent lore.
Bvlgari has made a habit of staging experiences that stretch across food, design, and watchmaking. Which is why “Kaleidos” hits different. With scenography by the architectural design team SANAA and Formafantasma and contemporary installations from artists Mariko Mori, Lara Favaretto, and Akiko Nakayama, it feels less like a jewelry showcase and more like stepping into Bvlgari’s world made physical.
The exhibit runs through December 15 at The National Art Center, Tokyo. Bling staged as culture, jewelry staged as art, and a suggestion that sometimes, too much color is exactly enough.
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