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Men's rings: the extraordinary collection of Yves Gastou

2022-01-14T10:48:02.768Z


Yves Gastou, antique dealer and atypical personality from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, had a passion for men's rings. His collection presented for the first time to the public in 2018, during an exhibition in Paris at L'École des Arts Joailliers, is the subject of an online conference....


Bishops, rebels or rockers rings

Antique rings from ancient Egypt, rings from the Doges of Venice from the 17th century, enamels from the 18th century, vanities from the 19th century, silver jewelry from American

bikers

from the 1970s… Rings have always adorned men's hands.

Loaded with symbols or functional, at the same time an element of adornment, an instrument of assertion of power and a fashion accessory, the men's ring takes on many roles: it signs documents, contains elixirs, unites, plays, cheats.

It signals the nobility of a lineage through coats of arms, embodies rebellion, expresses marginality or even transmits messages of wisdom through, for example, the memento mori.

The visual and carnal proximity that the ring maintains with the person who wears it also gives it a unique status that it has combined with both men and women for centuries.

Men's rings from the Gastou Benjamin Chelly collection

A unique collection

Yves Gastou has loved men's jewelry since childhood.

The first antique dealer to compare French and Italian furniture from the 1940s, 1950s and 1970s with emblematic design pieces from the 1980s, from Sottsass and Mendini to Kuramata, he was also a passionate collector of men's rings.

The first to have fascinated him were those of the men of the Church whom he observed as a child when he went to mass in Carcassonne.

Yves Gastou and his son Victor Gastou Images taken from the book Bagues d'homme by Delphine Antoine and Yves Gastou, photographs by Benjamin Chelly, published by Albin Michel.

It was then in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, where he lived and practiced his profession for more than thirty years, that he composed his extraordinary collection, which today resonates like a modern-day cabinet of curiosities. .

To do this, he let himself be guided by his favorites, desires and passion, creating an assortment as rare as it is eclectic, the rings of bishops and emperors rubbing shoulders in his preferences with those of bikers and rockers. .

Set of men's rings - Getty images

His many sources of supply, from flea markets to public sales, from stock funds of jewelers to his travels and his encounters, have enabled him to bring together more than a thousand rings from various periods and origins: cameos, memento mori, rings ancient, contemporary, men of the Church, artists… Multiple and unusual, its exceptional collection is a rare testimony to the social, political, economic and artistic role of men's jewellery.

Men's ring from the Gastou Benjamin Chelly collection

From the collection to the exhibition, to the conference

Sensitive to the artistic and unique character of Yves Gastou's collection, L'École des Arts Joailliers dedicated an exhibition to him in Paris in 2018, presenting a selection of 600 pieces.

"Occulted by feminine pageantry, the masculine ring finds all its grandeur here in an abundance that speaks to the eye, to the soul and to the heart"

, recalled Marie Vallanet-Delhom, president of L'École des Arts Joailliers.

This exhibition was the subject of a book,

Bagues d'homme

(Albin Michel).

Given the success of this first event, L'École des Arts Joailliers is continuing the experiment.

Today, Yves Gastou's collection travels to Japan and is exhibited in Tokyo at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 3 from January 14 to March 13, 2022.

“Men's rings” conference - Wednesday January 26, 2022 at 7 p.m. Free registration at:

www.lecolevancleefarpels.com

Getty images

In connection with this exhibition, L'École is organizing the online conference "Man's Rings" on January 26 at 7 p.m.

Led by Gislain Aucremanne, jewelery historian, and Victor Gastou, Yves' son, also an antiques dealer, the meeting will take listeners on a unique journey to the heart of the hidden meaning of rings.

In the intimate setting of a conversation, the two men will explore the power of masculine jewelery and the transmission of a passion, Victor pursuing his father's breathtaking collection.

CONFERENCE: "Men's Rings"

Wednesday, January 26 at 7 p.m.


Online conference, live and free.

Registration:

www.lecolevancleefarpels.com

The School of Jewelry Arts

Created on the initiative of Van Cleef & Arpels, L'École des Arts Joailliers introduces the general public to the world of jewelery through the courses it provides, the exhibitions it organizes, but also its conferences (online and free), which anyone can attend by registering on the School's website.

Placed at the heart of the activities of the School of Jewelry Arts, this exclusive program of online conferences gives the floor to creators, collectors and experts with the ambition of enlightening the public on the secrets of jewelry by emphasizing on know-how, the history of art and the discovery of stones.

The School of Jewelry Arts


31, rue Danielle Casanova, 75001 Paris


www.lecolevancleefarpels.com

Source: lefigaro

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