Museo del Bijou di Casalmaggiore (Cr)
March 21 – May 17 2015
Opening March 21 at 5 p.m.
Museum hours: Monday – Saturday 10 – 12 p.m. & 3 – 6 p.m.
Sunday & Holidays 3 – 6 p.m.
Founded in 1944 by Piera Albani and her daughter Maria Vittoria, Ornella Bijoux is one of the most renowned brands in custom hand-made jewellery and has been awarded by the “Bottega Storica di Milano” its title as being one of the few remaining historical shops in Milan. On display more than 200 custom-handmade pieces, demonstrating more than sixty years of Italian creativity, through these fashion designs the designer Maria Vittoria Albani expresses her originality, elegance and brilliance.
This important exhibition, on display here at Museo del Bijou di Casalmaggiore (Cremona) in collaboration with Bianca Cappello, historian and jewellery expert, is the first in a monographic series dedicated to the great Italian costume jewellers, a fascinating chapter of its kind yet to be discovered.
Due to the long collaboration between maison Biki and Ornella Bijoux during the Sixties’, in exhibition even a selection of vintage cocktail party dresses by Maison Biki from the Nastri and Cavalli collection in Milan.
Unique in Italy, Museo del Bijou, was founded in 1986 in Casalmaggiore, an important historical district of costume jewellery of the 19th and 20th centuries. It has a collection of more than 20 million pieces of custom jewels, machine equipment, tools, photographs and catalogues, dating back from the end of the 8th century to the 20th century, coming from the warehouses of local businesses and by private donations of businesses and collectors.
The museum organises temporary exhibits to acquaint its visitors of the historical movement in fashion and its ornamental accessories.
Curator Bianca Cappello
Jewellery Historian, Jewellery History teacher at IED European Institute of Design in Milan and Collections Coordinator of the Jewellery Museum in Vicenza.
She edited several exhibitions, catalogues and lectures about the unusual materials in jewellery and the Italian Costume Jewellery.
Member of the Society of Jewellery Historians in London. She lives in Milan.
Museo del Bijou
Via Porzio 9 – 26041 Casalmaggiore (CR)
0375 284423 – 0375205344 / www.museodelbijou.it info@museodelbijou.it
The Museo del Bijou is open everyday. School and groups can book guided tours, educational tours and interactive workshops available.
Catalogo Universitas Studiorum
Thank you to: Cavalli e Nastri for the vintage dresses signed Biki
Cavalli e Nastri , via Brera 2, Via Gian Giacomo Mora 3 e 12 – Milano
www .cavallienastri.com – info@cavallienastri.com