Lydia Courteille is a jewelery artist who amazes with her collections inspired by the long journeys she undertakes. This time, however, the journey is through her collaboration with Natalie Shau, who expresses her art through imaginative images, regularly used by Lydia Courteille to present her jewels. Women depicted in a fantasy, dark and sensual style. The designer with a boutique in Paris, at 231 rue Saint Honoré, has therefore conceived a series of jewels that summarize the long collaboration (18 years) between the jewelery creator and the image creator. The collection is called, precisely, A Natalie.
In this case the two arts were brought together under the same result. The jewels are composed of gold, gems and small miniature portraits created by Natalie Shau. A style that recalls the great traditions of the past, when a small enamel portrait was inserted into medallions and pendants. The images that are part of the A Natalie collection are instead inspired by the collections created over time by Lydia Courteille, which can mostly be found on gioiellis.com.
For example, the Xochimilco collection was inspired by memories of Courteille’s first trip to Mexico, at the age of 21. Colorful jewelry depicted the folk traditions of Mexico and the Christian beliefs revolving around the Santa Muerta and the animist beliefs of the Mayan civilizations. Vanitas, on the other hand, is an invitation to reflect on the fleeting nature of life. Another jewel recalls the Marie Antoniette Dark Side collection, the last queen seen through her decadence, in open contrast with the sweetened reinterpretation of the nobleman who ended up on the guillotine.
Again: a medallion is inspired by the collection dedicated to the kunstkammer, the chambers of wonders, small naturalistic museums that amazed the ancients. Another jewel recalls the Fragrant Concubine collection, inspired by the Chinese legend of the Uyghur girl who became consort of the Chinese emperor of the Qing dynasty in the 18th century. Other jewels are those inspired by the Crusades, with Masonic and religious symbols. Another jewel is dedicated to another woman from the past, Cassandre Salviati, inspired by the collection dedicated by Luydia Courteille to the poem Amours de Cassandre, written in 1552 by Pierre de Ronsard. Finally, other jewels that trace the work of Lydia and Natalie concern the Sahara collection, inspired by the trip to Tassili, Algeria.
