Craft & Guild Foundation

The Art of Light 爍鐐瑜時

The ancient Chinese character “爍” referred to brilliance, while “鐐” was used to describe the finest form of white gold, “瑜”, the flawless lustre of jade, and “時”, time.

With an illuminating starry night setting as the backdrop, The Art of Light celebrates the intricate interplay of illumination through various artistic crafts, showcasing the skill and expertise required in the arts of gem-setting, gilt decoration, inlaying, which were traceable to ancient Egyptian and Greek civilisations.

Inside Vacheron Constantin’s Geneva Manufacture are their own in-house gem-setting artisans specialising in diamond and gemstone setting. With their delicate and expert techniques, they enhance the multifaceted brilliance of the gemstone along with the timepiece’s intricate and diverse curves, adding greater beauty and grandeur to these ingenious timepieces. In this area carefully selected timepieces from the Belle Époque era, a 1914 ladies wristwatch from the Maison’s heritage private collection, to the modern day, a 2015 Heure Audacieuse ladies wristwatch from the Heures Créatives collection, are on display, where special gem-setting techniques are showcased together with their stunning, distinctive designs through time.

To enhance the visual narrative and illustrate how light transforms exquisite creations into captivating works of art, on display are also Delvaux’s black pear wood Caprice Toy Le Nacrier handbag delicately inlaid with iridescent mother-of-pearl, along with K11 Craft & Guild Foundation’s gilt decorated lacquer game box with traveling scenes. Through the dance of these fragments of mother-of-pearl, an opaque yet lustrous material, the craftsmanship highlights the art of light through subtle gradations of lustre and the delicate inlaying technique, capturing the dynamic movement of light across multiple layers and textures.

The Art of Depth 鏨塒有輝

The ancient Chinese character “鏨” means both engraving and carving, while “塒” evokes the act of “nestling in a chiselled wall”, and “有輝” (having radiance) is taken from “­The Classic of Poetry” (《詩經》) to describe palace lights.

The Art of Colour 炻光灼灼 

Taken from also “The Classic of Poetry” (《詩經》), the ancient Chinese phrase “灼灼” describes the dazzling hues of peach blossoms in full bloom, while “炻” refers to a type of ceramic that lies between pottery and porcelain­, and “光”, light.

Within the vibrant glass house adorned with a moving light projection flower garden, The Art of Colour celebrates the exquisite interplay of colour through enamelling, guangcai, an intricate Chinese hand-painted porcelain technique, and French earthenware painting.

Enamelling, a craft that was already used in Ancient Greece in the 2nd millennium BC, and later traversed from the Islamic world to China and Europe, stands as a cornerstone in the realm of decorative arts. Vacheron Constantin has mastered this craft since its founding, applying it extensively to both pocket watches and wristwatches. Highlighted pieces include a 1905 ladies’ pocket watch where cloisonné technique is used to bring to life a plant-inspired motif typical of Art Nouveau, grisaille enamelling is then applied and worked through multiple passes of firing to diffuse the colours, creating different gradations of gray, and a 1996 Mercator retrograde wristwatch, where the world map according to 16^th century geographer Gérard Mercator’s cartography was entirely polychrome enameled.

Additionally, Delvaux’s Caprice Toy Le Céramiste, crafted in ceramic and adorned with an enamel floral pattern is developed in partnership with La Manufacture des Emaux Longwy, a historic French earthenware factory founded in 18^th century, whose unique savoir-faire is a part of France’s cultural heritage. This unique creation echoes the elegance of historical tea sets. A guangcai porcelain teapot set with roses on green ground from the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation is juxtaposed, further exemplifying the harmonious fusion of enamelling, guangcai, and French earthenware painting, showcasing how colour breathes life into each artisanal creation.

Lastly, the prestigious Lounge area, allocated exclusively for the like-minded to share their passion in the artistry and mastery of crafts, will showcase artistic craft demonstration and conduct panel discussions to further examine the transmission of human know-how in arts and craft throughout our history.