When it comes to the jewelry brand Chaumet, one always associates it with the romantic love story of Empress Joséphine and Napoleon. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death, and the flagship store of Chaumet at 12 Place Vendôme in Paris is hosting an exhibition titled “Joséphine Napoléon, an(extra)ordinary story” to commemorate their legendary tale.
The exhibition at the flagship store showcases over 150 treasures including jewelry, artworks, historical documents, letters, etc., detailing the encounter and marriage of the couple during the early days of the French Revolution. In the Salon Chopin gallery, you can find copies of their marriage certificate, letters from Napoleon related to the Italian propaganda movement, and portraits of Napoleon and Empress Josephine. The exhibits are from Chaumet’s collection, as well as loans from museums and collectors, with some items being publicly displayed for the first time.
In the early 19th century, Empress Josephine and Napoleon were enamored by a crown made by Nitot for Pope Pius VII, and later Nitot became the official jeweler for Josephine, who was also the founder of Chaumet. This exhibition showcases multiple jewelry designs and manuscripts created by Nitot for Josephine, with the Joséphine Collection crown named after her being a highlight of the exhibition.
To this day, the “crown” remains a classic design element of the brand, and the exhibition showcases several early designs, including the wheat sheaf crown that debuted in 1811, created with a unique arrangement and inlaid diamonds to create a lifelike swaying posture of wheat sheaves, which was also worn by Josephine to attend grand celebrations.
Apart from wheat ears, Nodot has created jewelry with floral elements, such as the pearl and agate necklace and earrings in the exhibition, which reproduce the lines of flowers and add reliefs of ancient gods, giving a sense of classical elegance.
There are also Nodot-made peacock stone relief gemstone jewelry, which uses Empress Josephine’s favorite emerald peacock stone, and also exhibits a pair of pear-shaped pearl earrings of Empress Josephine, which also appeared in a portrait of Empress Josephine.
In addition to a variety of jewelry, the exhibition also brings forth exquisitely beautiful historical clothing, such as Gothic-style belts dating back to the Middle Ages, adorned with a Greek-style relief gemstone gifted by Napoleon’s sister to his second wife, Queen Marie Louise.
Inside the exhibition hall, there is a special installation, which is a set of dresses similar in style to Empress Josephine, facing the digital mirror. The mirror projects Empress Josephine wearing a crown, bringing a unique exhibition experience.
