I recently completed a trip to Spain’s beautiful Catalonia region. Looking for some adventure and exploring my recent infatuation with art in jewellery I went to a smallish town Figueres, on the North-East coast of Spain.
“If you’re in Figueres, make sure you check out the Salvador Dalí Jewels exhibition,” my friend said typing the address of the Dalí Theatre and Museum into my GPS. And after tackling a number of roundabouts (I heard here in Spain they get paid to build each individually – no wonder there are so many), I was so excited to see the permanent exhibit’s light pink façade topped by giant eggs!
Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres
After viewing the collection, highly impressed by the surreal genius that was Dalí, I, with some effort, pushed open a corroded and heavy revolving door to another room of jewellery. All at once I was in darkness. All I could see was black velvet and luminous displays in the walls, each showcasing a masterpiece! The jewels were so beautiful, all you could do was admire them. Dalí’s gift to humanity, The Master used his exceptional and extraordinary experience to create this collection.
Religious symbolism plays a prominent part – “The Fallen Angel”, “The Tree of Life”, various types of crosses and heart shapes. Apparently, there’s a reason Dalí’s parents gave the future Creator the name “Salvador,” which means “saviour” in Spanish.
The artist had been creating glorious designs since 1941, inspired by his lifetime muse, Gala. He designed and named each piece in his collection, relying on skilled goldsmiths who used precious stones in their craftsmanship. I realised that pieces like Coco Chanel’s, The Gold Cube Cross (1959), might have been inspired by the works of the great Spaniard. All of Dalí’s 39 designs were transformed into jewellery in the shapes of hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals, as well as religious and mythological creatures. Many of the pieces aren’t even meant for wear.
The collection was acquired by a Saudi multimillionaire in 1981 and then sold on to some Japanese entities, but thankfully the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation bought it for 5.5 million Euros and brought it back to the museum. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take better quality pictures but you can find plenty on the Internet. Of course it’s better to visit the museum itself if you’re in Figueres…
Salvador Dali Ruby’s Lips 1949