Castellani Jewellery. The Rothschild Collection

From December 13^th, 2023, to March 3^rd, 2024, Fondazione Luigi Rovati will display the Castellani jewellery from the collection of Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild (1822-1899), who donated it in 1899 to the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. 

Nineteen pieces of jewellery, manufactured by the famous Roman family of goldsmiths in the 1860s and 1870s, enriches the temporary exhibition opened in October and dedicated to the "Etruscan Treasures" of the Castellani collection from the Villa Giulia National Etruscan Museum.

A refined collector and patron of the arts, Charlotte de Rothschild was a prominent figure in the Parisian and international art world.  Enthusiast of Italy, she combined her passion for collecting with a deep interest for art history.

The Castellani jewellery collection on display is part of a larger bequest by Charlotte de Rothschild: 273 precious objects that represented a considerable enrichment of the Musée des Arts décoratifs collection, which at the time included only 395 pieces.

Within fifteen years, Charlotte de Rothschild assembled a collection of nineteen pieces of Castellani jewellery: the collection features pendants, earrings, and brooches adorned with Christian symbols (such as fishes, peacocks, and the Holy Spirit dove), inspired by medieval Roman churches and the techniques used to decorate them. For example, in a jewellery set with Saint Mark’s Lion, the micro mosaics’ surface is intentionally irregular to enhance the play of light.

Moreover, the exhibition features an exquisite griffin brooch and several elements of an exceptional set with Egyptian scarab-motifs, inspired by jewels from the renowned Campana collection, which the Castellanis had the chance to study extensively before its sale to the French State.

The exhibition is accompanied by the volume published by Fondazione Luigi Rovati with a text by exhibition curator Mathieu Rousset-Perrier, curator of the medieval, renaissance and goldsmith collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (€10).

The Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan holds in its collection a precious demi-parure with cabochon turquoise and gold necklace and earrings made by Bottega Castellani for Rosina Trivulzio.

With the exhibition ticket, it is possible to gain access at a reduced price to the Poldi Pezzoli Museum (€10, instead of €14) where you can discover the permanent collection and the ongoing exhibition White Gold. Three Centuries of Ginori Porcelain.  Conversely, with the Poldi Pezzoli Museum ticket, access to the art museum is reduced.

INFORMATION

Castellani Jewellery. The Rothschild Collection

Curated by Mathieu Rousset-Perrier, Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris

December 13th, 2023 – March 3rd, 2024

Fondazione Luigi Rovati | Art Museum
Corso Venezia 52, Milano