Christofle: Une Brillante Histoire, the goldsmith's house's sublime exhibition at MAD Paris

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is preparing to light up your autumn with the exhibition "Christofle: A Brilliant History", from November 14, 2024 to April 20, 2025. Discover how this legendary house has reinvented the art of goldsmithing since the 1830s, through 1,000 dazzling pieces - from cutlery to jewelry to contemporary art - deployed in a magical immersive scenography.

For lovers of luxury andtableware, prepare for a glittering journey into the world ofsilversmithing with theexhibition "Christofle: Une Brillante Histoire" (Christofle: A Brilliant History). From November 14, 2024 to April 20, 2025, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs will be showcasing the creations and expertise of the prestigious goldsmith's house in a dazzlingretrospective .

A journey through time and glamour

For almost two centuries, the House of Christofle, founded by Charles Christofle and Henri Bouilhet, has redefined the art of silversmithing by renewing its uses and integrating it into everyday life. From its beginnings in the 1830s to its contemporary collaborations with leading fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Pharrell Williams, Christofle has shaken up the codes of silverware and transformed the most common objects into veritable pieces of design.

In all, nearly 1,000 pieces - cutlery, jewelry, paintings, drawings and posters - will be highlighted, tracing the incredible career of this exceptional house. Curated by Audrey Gay-Mazuel, the Christine & Stephen A. Schwarzman galleries will be transformed into an immaculate XXL showcase. Schwarzman galleries will be transformed into an immersive XXL showcase that will plunge visitors into the dazzling world of Christofle, revealing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the silversmith's craft and legendary tables.

An Immersive Journey to the Heart of Creation

The tour begins in the rich atmosphere of Christofle's factories, where visitors can discover behind-the-scenes details of the silvering and gilding processes, as well as the manufacture of a fork in a workshop recreated for the occasion, combining traditional tools and digital innovations.

Theexhibition also celebrates Christofle's masterpieces unveiled at the Universal Exhibitions from 1851 to 1925. Successful at every edition, the company has constantly pushed back the boundaries of innovation with monumental pieces and ever more audacious designs, from Japonism to Art Deco.

A Universe of Design and Excellence

On the second floor, visitors will be seduced by a Christofle boutique, reconstructed with attention to detail to present an infinite range of tableware and everyday objects that have become emblematic. From traditional kitchenware and tea sets to contemporary creations, each piece illustrates the unique signature of the House.

A few meters further on, iconic collaborations with the greatest international designers of the time (Gio Ponti, César, Arman...) and today, such as Sylvain Dubuisson, Elisabeth Garouste or the couturiers Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld, take shape. Since the 1920s, Christofle has surrounded itself with the greatest talents to renew its heritage and its place in contemporary art.

Since the mid-1980s, the House has also been making a name for itself in jewelry, with pieces engraved by Andrée Putman, Michele Oka Doner and Mademoiselle Aurélie Bidermann.

A Journey through History and Luxury

The exhibition invites visitors on a journey through the world of luxury, from grand diplomatic receptions to the tables of palaces, hotels, trains, liners and legendary aircraft. The installation will make a stopover in the dining room of the Ritz, then in those of the Concorde and the Normandie liner, before moving on to a carriage of the Orient-Express.

Since the 1840s, Christofle has enchanted palaces, ministries and embassies, from Napoleon III to today's presidents, with services of regal splendor. With their hundreds of pieces and centerpieces adorned with sculptures, jardinières and candelabras, these creations are the quintessence of the French art of entertaining. At the heart of the last two rooms of the exhibition, they are illuminated in a dazzling finale through an enchanting display of set tables, from the splendor of the 1860s to the Vertigo service designed by Andrée Putman in 2002.