Anna Hu, Gnossienne Brooch, 2008

15 mars 2024

Anna Hu, Gnossienne Brooch, 2008

Anna Hu, Gnossienne Brooch, 2008. In 18K gold, jade, ruby, pear shaped diamond and round brilliant cut diamonds, (L) 8.2 x (W) 14 x (H) 2.7 cm. ANNA HU HAUTE JOAILLERIE at TEFAF 2024. © 2024 TEFAF
 
The crane plays a leading role in Chinese art, appearing in paintings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, jade carvings and as embroidered ornamentation on Imperial robes. It is depicted usually in full flight, or often too alongside a pine tree or standing on a tortoise, both symbols of longevity. Laden with meanings and messages, the crane is recognized as a defining characteristic of important historical Chinese treasures held in museums around the world.
Artworks and treasures are studied by Europe-based Asian artist-jeweler, Anna Hu, who has been immersed in Chinese culture, history and mythology from an early age. Amongst her favorite historical objects is the 300 years old Coromandel screen in the Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris. Crafted in 1691, in Yangzhou, China, and made of exquisitely decorated lacquered wood, the folding panels depict cranes, pine trees and clouds. The precious screen was transported by East India Company ships along the Maritime Silk route from China to Europe where, as revealed by an inscription on the reverse of the screen, it was presented as a birthday gift to a certain Madame Gan; the cranes carrying with them their message of good fortune and long life.
Anna has always also loved ‘Auspicious Cranes’, the silk handscroll attributed to the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Huizong (1082-1135). Painted in ink and color, it shows a flock of red-crowned cranes flying amongst magical clouds in an azure sky high above the city gates. The accompanying inscription and poem, written by the Emperor, suggests that he was capturing a real life event, the ‘immortal birds’ in flight as seen from his palace, in Kaifeng, on the night of the Lantern festival in 1112. He regarded this as an auspicious sign, a blessing of peace and harmony, a promise of flourishing national destiny.
The dramatic, storytelling Gnossienne Brooch is the perfect expression of Anna Hu’s signature East-West fusion: the legendary, spiritually-imbued status of the crane in Chinese culture, art, myths and legends, depicted in her favorite Chinese works of art, all immortalized through Western traditions of superlative gemstones and meticulous skills of the finest French craftsmanship.