Austrian enamel jewellery specialist Frey Wille will be presenting a new collection inspired by Russian culture at next month’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (Stand number: Yellow Village C15).
The Passionate Russia collection features four different designs: My Matryoshka, Golden Kalinka, Swan Lake, and Glorious Firebird. Only the first three will be shown at the Cannes show.
My Matryoshka
As the name suggests, this design draws inspiration from matryoshka dolls, regarded as a historic symbol for Russian culture.
Featuring a set of wooden figurines of decreasing size placed one inside the other, the first ever matryoshka doll was said to be based on a traditional Japanese doll. Today Russian matryoshkas can be found in various decorative styles from very basic to very sophisticated versions, according to Frey Wille.
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My Matryoshka draws inspiration from Russian matryoshka dolls | |
The company explained the symbolism of the doll: “Externally it appears as a beautiful Russian woman in a miniature replica; internally it represents important values of the Russian soul: family, heritage, continuity. One coming out of another, they form a true Russian eternity and vital connection between the generations.
“Matryoshka dolls are a pure symbol of femininity crystallised in the eternal renewal; placing matryoshkas onto a decorative surface of precious jewellery is the tribute to endless and conscious femininity,” it added.
Golden Kalinka
Golden Kalinka represents the love of nature, often expressed in Russian decorative art, namely “˜Khokhloma’. The Khokhloma handicraft traditionally involves pieces of wood being decorated with vivid flower and berry patterns in red and gold colours against a black background.
This traditional theme is given a modern interpretation for Golden Kalinka, which features a rich colour palette that is said to convey both energy and passion.
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Golden Kalinka is a modern interpretation of the traditional Russian handicraft Khokhloma | |
Swan Lake
Swan Lake is a tribute to Russian ballet not just as a form of artistic expression, but as “a dignified symbol of cultural life and heritage”, Frey Wille said.
The company added that the history of Russian ballet, with its rises and falls, is closely tied and similar to the evolution of Europe from the 17th through to the 19th century. Marius Petipa, considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers of all time, was credited for bringing Russian ballet to the world stage at a time when Europe’s interest in the art was beginning to fade. Sergei Diaghilev’s ballet company, Ballets Russes, similarly raised the profile of Russian ballet by making a high impact on European fashion in the late 19th century.
Swan Lake, set to Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score, was the first of the Russian composer’s “˜Big Three’ which also included The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Expressed in jewellery, the design of Swan Lake demonstrates “the mysterious and tempting nature of ballet”, Frey Wille said, combining the passion, grace and vitality of the ballet dancer with harmonic colours and vivid motifs.
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Swan Lake takes its name from the first of Tchaikovsky’s “˜Big Three’ ballets | |
