{"id":571,"date":"2026-10-12T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T01:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itpbaz.kinsta.cloud\/watches-jewellery\/inside-i-am-only-a-pencil-the-jean-schlumberger-private-exhibition\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T22:24:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T14:24:07","slug":"inside-i-am-only-a-pencil-the-jean-schlumberger-private-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/watches-jewellery\/inside-i-am-only-a-pencil-the-jean-schlumberger-private-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside \u201cI Am Only A Pencil\u201d, the Jean Schlumberger Private Exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It begins with with a sketch<\/h2>\n\n

Jean Schlumberger drew first and made jewels second. Tiffany & Co. now shows what that process looked like. I Am Only A Pencil<\/i><\/a>, a by-invitation only exhibition dedicated to the works of Jean Schlumberger, presents itself during Paris Fashion Week S\/S \u201927, signalling the start of a long conservation project. The exhibition places Schlumberger\u2019s original drawings at its centre, freeing them from the Mus\u00e9e des Arts D\u00e9coratifs vault (where they have been stored since Schlumberger\u2019s passing in 1987) for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n

Preserving the legacy of Jean Schlumberger<\/h2>\n\n

Photos: The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts\/Estate Of Mrs Paul Mellon; Mus\u00e9e des Arts D\u00e9coratifs (MAD); The Tiffany Archives; writer\u2019s own.<\/h2>\n
\t
\n\t\t
\"Jean<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tJean Schlumberger at his working table, Hotel Regina, 1951, (c\/o: Luc Bouchage, MAD)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Of course, there\u2019s more to this Jean Schlumberger exhibition than mere storytelling. It marks a 4-year initiative with the Mus\u00e9e des Arts D\u00e9coratifs (MAD), with the Tiffany Archives leading the charge. Together, the scope of the project involves the conserving and digitally imaging of around 5,000 original Schlumberger drawings and 5,000 archival documents. As a result, scholars, curators and designers will be able to study the material for years to come. Additionally, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts provided scientific expertise for the presentation.<\/p>\n\n

The story begins<\/h2>\n
\t
\n\t\t
\"Christopher<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tChristopher Young, at the \u201cI Am Only A Pencil\u201d exhibition<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThis is a once in a lifetime experience. This has never happened before, and will never happen again,\u201d says Christopher Young, creative director, vice president for global creative visual merchandising and the Tiffany Archive for Tiffany & Co., as he leads us into the exhibition.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

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\"The<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The first gallery, with original drawings by Schlumberger and a video presentation of the conservation process.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n

First, a selection of original drawings sets the scene, supported by a video that explains the conservation process of these precious documents. Archival documents and photographs follow, in a gallery that sheds light on Schlumberger\u2019s personal life and working process.<\/p>\n

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\"Jean<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Next, finished jewels appear beside the sketches that shaped them, the Plumes, Jasmine and Tulips necklaces, and Pectoral Cross among the pieces on display. \u201cThe reason that this is historic is not just because of the drawings,\u201d Young continues. \u201cBut through our special partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, we have also paired the original drawing with the original jewel, together for the first time since they were made.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Jean<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\"Sketch<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sketch for the Jasmine necklace, 1961-2, with the actual necklace (c\/o The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts\/Estate Of Mrs Paul Mellon).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>

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\"Sketch<\/div>\n\t\t\t

Sketch for the Plumes necklace 1960, by Jean Schlumberger, (c\/o MAD) with the actual necklace (c\/o The Tiffany Archives).<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"Sketch<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sketch for the Tulips necklace, 1960, by Jean Schlumberger (photo: MAD), with the actual necklace (c\/o The Tifany Archives).<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\"Sketch<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sketch of the Pectoral Cross for Rachel \u201cBunny\u201d Mellon, 1959, by Jean Schlumberger (c\/o MAD), with the actual cross (c\/o The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts\/Estate Of Mrs Paul Mellon).<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The Mellon connection<\/h2>\n
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\"\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t

<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"Clock<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Clock for Rachel \u201cBunny\u201d Mellon, 1962, by Jean Schlumberger, with its original drawing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\"Sketch<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sketch for Mermaid for Rachel \u201cBunny\u201d Mellon, ca. 1965, by Jean Schlumberger (c\/o MAD), with the actual Mermaid piece (c\/o The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts\/Estate Of Mrs Paul Mellon).<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Further galleries cover his Surrealist-inspired objets d\u2019art and the influence of couture on his work. Some of these creations belonged to Rachel Lambert \u201cBunny\u201d Mellon, the horticulturalist and philanthropist who was a close friend of the designer. In fact, among her possessions was one of the first Bird on a Rock brooches. The bird perched on lapis lazuli, takes pride of place in the last gallery, a room devoted to Bird on a Rock, one of the House\u2019s best-known designs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

*:first-child]:order-2″>\n\t\t\t\t
\"Right:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Right: Bird on a Rock by Jean Schlumberger, 1965 from collection of Rachel \u201cBunny\u201d Mellon (1910\u20132014) (c\/o The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts\/Estate Of Mrs Paul Mellon).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n

This section also displays contemporary creations by Nathalie Verdeille, the maison\u2019s senior vice president and chief artistic officer. It\u2019s symbolic of how Schlumberger\u2019s imagination continue to inspire Tiffany & Co.\u2019s present catalogue.<\/p>\n\n

Why the drawings matter<\/h2>\n\n

Schlumberger<\/a> joined Tiffany & Co. in 1956. He drew birds, blossoms, sea creatures and fantastical forms, each with movement, colour and wit. His vision still shapes the creative spirit of the House and continues to inspire designers and collectors.<\/p>\n\n

As the original Schlumberger drawings prove, with their torn edges and fading pencil lines, paper is fragile, which explains why conservation is vital to the telling of the artist\u2019s legacy. After all, stories begin with a page. \u201cI think it\u2019s important for us to be able to see the beginning of the story,\u201d says Young. \u201cThis is like the first page when an author writes a very important book. So these sketches, in many ways, are the beginning of our story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The I Am Only a Pencil exhibition is on view by invitation only.<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tiffany & Co. presents “I Am Only a Pencil” in Paris, a private Jean Schlumberger exhibition dedicated to his original drawings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","bz_kicker":"","bz_opener":"classic","bz_photographer":"","bz_hero_caption":"","bz_hero_credit":"","bz_hero_clip":0,"bz_inset":0,"bz_tile_image":0,"bz_clip":0,"bz_tile_dek":"","bz_reading_time":"","bz_duration":"","bz_feature_small":0,"bz_feature_medium":0,"bz_feature_quote":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[240,241,242,173,243,61],"bz_slot":[],"class_list":["post-571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-watches-jewellery","tag-art","tag-exhibition","tag-jean-schlumberger","tag-paris","tag-paris-fashion-week","tag-tiffany-co"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=571"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1603,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571\/revisions\/1603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=571"},{"taxonomy":"bz_slot","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preview.itp.luxury\/baz-my-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bz_slot?post=571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}