Introduction

A Feast for the Eyes from Europe: Exhibition of Treasures from the Rosalinde and Authur Gilbert Collection

Foreword

Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert, known for their exquisite collection of artworks of superb workmanship such as gold and silver wares, snuffboxes and miniature mosaics, built one of the most comprehensive private collections of 20th-century European decorative art.

This exhibition displays 90 pieces of cultural relics, including the best part of their collection, ranging from noble and solemn religious ritual vessels to luxurious and dazzling gold and silver  wares, and from exquisite miniature artworks to colorful microscopic masterpieces. The exhibition vividly reflects the lifestyle and social etiquette of European court and aristocracy in the 17th to 19th centuries. It is a visual feast of European history, culture and art.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “The world is a colorful place and civilizations are diverse. Only through exchanges and mutual learning can human civilization flourish.” This exhibition offers a unique opportunity for us to immerse ourselves in Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert’s world of dazzling masterpieces and appreciate the beauty of Western art.

Chapter One: Nobility and Elegance

Since the 16th century, the use of gold and silver articles has gradually become a trend, with luxurious gold and silverware being both practical and decorative, and a symbol of wealth and status. Gold and silver craftsmen followed the popular trend of the banquet style of the royal families and aristocrats, making breakthroughs and innovations in the fabrication of artworks and producing noble, elegant and diversified utensils to meet the living habits and aesthetic taste of their patrons. With the change of European social structure and the accumulation of wealth, the use of gold and silver wares was no longer exclusive to the nobility, while urban merchants and other emerging classes also had a large number of utensils custom-made.

Chapter Two: Pocket-size Perfection

Miniature portrait and snuffbox were typical representatives of European miniature art from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and they used to be the beloved ornaments carried by the royal nobles. Miniature portraits, often painted with pigments and enamels, emerged in the 16th century, became popular in England and France in the 17th century and gradually spread throughout Europe. Snuffboxes were a sign of nobility and, compared with smoking a pipe, sniffing snuff was considered a more elegant and noble behavior. The exchange of snuff was an important way of socializing, and the emperor even issued a royal decree stipulating the etiquette of the exchange. Snuffboxes made for the noble class according to their personal aesthetics were mostly crafted with gold and silver and inlaid with gems, or decorated with miniature portraits, or fabricated by absorbing the techniques of enamel painting and micromosaic, which made them extremely distinctive and exquisite.

Chapter Three: Microscopic Masterpieces

Mosaic is a form of inlay art that uses colored inlaid pieces such as small stones, shells, tiles and glass to create decorative designs. The craft originated in western Asia, matured in Italy during the ancient Roman period, and gave rise to miniature mosaics during the Renaissance. Unlike traditional mosaic, micromosaics create designs or portraits with extremely fine inlaid pieces of different colors, so they are closer to the effect of paintings. Such exquisitely-made works are often seen on snuffboxes, decorative paintings and furniture. The decorative themes include ancient Roman monuments, religious scenes, landscapes, animals and flowers. In the mid-18th century, micromosaics began to appear on small ornaments, with rich themes, bright colors and unique originality.

Chapter Four: The Gilberts

The British collectors Rosalinde (1913-1995) and Arthur Gilbert (1913-2001) are famous for their collection of gold and silver wares, snuffboxes and micromosaics. These works of art come from Europe, Russia, India and North and South America, forming a comprehensive decorative art collection system.

Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert launched a wholesale fashion label - Rosalinde Gilbert Ltd - in London in the 1930s. By 1945, the company had become many high-end fashions, after which the couple moved to California, where they found further success in the real estate industry and purchased a villa in Beverly Hills while seeking out unique decorative artwork, and thus began their collecting career. They had long persisted in collecting different types of artworks in certain fields and holding research exhibitions, thus becoming professional connoisseurs in the field of art.

From the very beginning, they had wanted to make their collection available to the public. Some of their collections were on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the 1970s.In 1996, the Gilberts donated their world-renowned collection to the United Kingdom. In 1999, Queen Elizabeth knighted Gilbert in recognition of his cultural and philanthropic contributions, and in 2008, the couple's collection of more than 1,200 objects was collected in the Victoria and Albert Museum.