JANET ZAPATA CAROL WO O LTON DAVID WARREN DAV I D B E H L

ALLA

N CHIU/STUDIO

ONE+

JANET ZAPATA A renowned historian of decorative arts and jewelry and the author of The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany, The Art of Zadora, and Jeweled Garden. Zapata has curated many jewelry exhibitions, including The Nature of Diamonds at the American Museum of Natural History.

CAROL WOOLTON Jewelry editor of British Vogue and prolific writer on antique and contemporary jewelry for the London Times, the Financial Times, and Art Quarterly. Woolton’s books include Fashion for Jewels: 100 Years of Styles and Icons and Drawing Jewels for Fashion (Prestel).

DAVID WARREN Director of jewelry at Christie’s since 1995 and a respected authority on gems and jewelry, Warren has written many articles on the subject, including a chapter in The Encyclopaedia of World Antiques, and has lectured extensively in Southeast Asia, South America, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. He specializes in Mughal jewelry, emeralds, and pearls.

DAVID BEHL One of the world’s leading photographers of fine jewels and jewelry, Behl’s many credits include The Jewels of Lalique, The Art of Zadora, Seaman Schepps: A Century of New York Jewelry Design, and Yard: The Life and Magnificent Jewelry of Raymond C. Yard.

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Inspired by Chinese art and lore, Western art and music, and the natural world, Anna Hu’s imaginative, exquisitely designed and executed one-of-a-kind pieces have catapulted her to the top of the jewelry firmament in a few short years. Her firm, Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie, has boutiques in New York and Shanghai, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris has honored her with an exhibition of her work.

This luxurious volume celebrates the completion of Anna Hu’s f irst 100 works, or “Opus 1,” as she calls the collection. Her ambitious goal is to produce an opus every five years until she has completed ten, for a total of 999 pieces, and no one who has seen her jewelry has any doubt that she will fulfill her dream.

The introduction by jewelry historian Janet Zapata and essays by Carol Woolton, jewelry editor of British Vogue, and David Warren, director of jewelry at Christie’s, address various aspects of Anna Hu’s work, including the relationship between her jewelry and fashion, the impact that her passionate study of the cello has had on her jewelry design, and the remarkable gemstones that inspired her to make some of her most virtuosic pieces. But the pièce de résistance of the book are the pieces themselves, many of them exquisitely photographed by master jewelry photographer David Behl. Some are as intricate as Chinese embroidery, others are as ethereal and delicate as butterflies, and still others are jeweled reinterpretations of timeless works of music and art, from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Puccini’s Turandot to Monet’s Water Lilies and Van Gogh’s Irises. In all, a Symphony of Jewels.

‘‘ANNA HU IS LIKE THERED DIAMOND OF

THE GEMSTONE WORLD,THE GHOST ORCHID

OF THE FLORA WORLD—SHE IS A TREASURE

IN OUR MIDST.’’—DAVID WARREN

DIRECTOR OF JEWELRY AT CHRISTIE’S

T H E V E N D O M E P R E S SN E W YO R K

OPUS 1 janet zapata

carol wooltondavid warren

principal photography by

david behl

T H E V E N D O M E P R E S SN E W YO R K

OPUS 1 janet zapata

carol wooltondavid warren

principal photography by

david behl

F O R E W O R D / 7

anna hu with dr. agnes hsu

I N T R O D U C T I O N / 13

janet zapata

H A U T E C O U T U R E A N D T H E

J E W E L R Y O F A N N A H U / 29

carol woolton

A P P R E C I A T I N G R A R I T Y / 35

david warren

O P U S 1

V I R T U O S O I N G E M S / 41

E A S T E R N A R T / 89

F A N T A S Y G A R D E N / 115

opus 1 index / 164

C O N T E N T S

F O R E W O R D / 7

anna hu with dr. agnes hsu

I N T R O D U C T I O N / 13

janet zapata

H A U T E C O U T U R E A N D T H E

J E W E L R Y O F A N N A H U / 29

carol woolton

A P P R E C I A T I N G R A R I T Y / 35

david warren

O P U S 1

V I R T U O S O I N G E M S / 41

E A S T E R N A R T / 89

F A N T A S Y G A R D E N / 115

opus 1 index / 164

C O N T E N T S

29

The great French couturier Christian Dior used to say that haute couture was the perfect marriage between design and material. If the creation of a garment using luxurious materials combined with exquisite workmanship and a soaring imagination is couture, then the word can also be applied to the work of artist-jeweler Anna Hu. Her method of working, employing time-consuming, hand-executed

techniques, is comparable to that of the best couturiers. The only difference is in the materials — swaths of softly draped silks, satins, and lace for the fashion designers, ribbons of colored diamonds, trails of verdant emeralds, bursts of Burmese sapphires, deep orange coral, and pigeon blood rubies, and slithers of metal for Hu. Her unique look comes from the harmony she has created between Chinese motifs and French craftsmanship.

Hu’s formative years in Taiwan provided a rich source of inspiration for her work. The gardens of her child-hood are gloriously revealed in her ruby and pink diamond scallop-petaled Lady Peony ring (cat. no. 65), vibrant Duchess Hibiscus rings (cat. no. 77), and Jade Phoenix ring wrapped in green emeralds, multicolored diamonds, and pink and purple sapphires (cat. no. 60). Eastern nature is evoked in a pair of brilliant blue sapphire, Paraiba tourmaline, and moonstone magpies singing on a delicate branch of pink and yellow diamond blossoms, from which swings a pear-shaped baroque pearl (see cat. no. 48), as well as in bright butterflies in mid-flight alight-ing on a glittering rubellite- and Colombian emerald–studded rock garden ring (see cat. no. 84). As Hubert de Givenchy said, “The smell of silk is unique, the fabric is alive.” Hu uses the passion for her fabric — colorful pre-cious gemstones — to breathe life and a sense of movement into her three-dimensional renditions of Leaping Koi, Water Dragons, and Imperial Tigers.

Although Hu trained as a professional cellist, spending countless hours practicing her instrument, she was equally beguiled at a young age by the glittering array of diamonds that her father, a gemstone dealer, bought home. When her shoulder was damaged and she could no longer practice her cello, she took a jewelry design course. “I clearly fell in love,” she says. “Designing jewelry is like composing music.” Her virtuosity

H A U T E C O U T U R E A N D T H E J E W E L R Y O F A N N A H U

c a r o l w o o l t o n

Pages 26–27: w i n t e r p l u m b a n g l e a n d e a r r i n g s with drawings (see cat. nos. 69 and 70).

Opposite: a m p h i t r i t e r i n g (see cat. no. 27), left, and n y m p h r i n g (see cat. no. 28), right.

29

The great French couturier Christian Dior used to say that haute couture was the perfect marriage between design and material. If the creation of a garment using luxurious materials combined with exquisite workmanship and a soaring imagination is couture, then the word can also be applied to the work of artist-jeweler Anna Hu. Her method of working, employing time-consuming, hand-executed

techniques, is comparable to that of the best couturiers. The only difference is in the materials — swaths of softly draped silks, satins, and lace for the fashion designers, ribbons of colored diamonds, trails of verdant emeralds, bursts of Burmese sapphires, deep orange coral, and pigeon blood rubies, and slithers of metal for Hu. Her unique look comes from the harmony she has created between Chinese motifs and French craftsmanship.

Hu’s formative years in Taiwan provided a rich source of inspiration for her work. The gardens of her child-hood are gloriously revealed in her ruby and pink diamond scallop-petaled Lady Peony ring (cat. no. 65), vibrant Duchess Hibiscus rings (cat. no. 77), and Jade Phoenix ring wrapped in green emeralds, multicolored diamonds, and pink and purple sapphires (cat. no. 60). Eastern nature is evoked in a pair of brilliant blue sapphire, Paraiba tourmaline, and moonstone magpies singing on a delicate branch of pink and yellow diamond blossoms, from which swings a pear-shaped baroque pearl (see cat. no. 48), as well as in bright butterflies in mid-flight alight-ing on a glittering rubellite- and Colombian emerald–studded rock garden ring (see cat. no. 84). As Hubert de Givenchy said, “The smell of silk is unique, the fabric is alive.” Hu uses the passion for her fabric — colorful pre-cious gemstones — to breathe life and a sense of movement into her three-dimensional renditions of Leaping Koi, Water Dragons, and Imperial Tigers.

Although Hu trained as a professional cellist, spending countless hours practicing her instrument, she was equally beguiled at a young age by the glittering array of diamonds that her father, a gemstone dealer, bought home. When her shoulder was damaged and she could no longer practice her cello, she took a jewelry design course. “I clearly fell in love,” she says. “Designing jewelry is like composing music.” Her virtuosity

H A U T E C O U T U R E A N D T H E J E W E L R Y O F A N N A H U

c a r o l w o o l t o n

Pages 26–27: w i n t e r p l u m b a n g l e a n d e a r r i n g s with drawings (see cat. nos. 69 and 70).

Opposite: a m p h i t r i t e r i n g (see cat. no. 27), left, and n y m p h r i n g (see cat. no. 28), right.

62 / S Y M P H O N Y O F J E W E L S

19. a g n e s r i n g 心眉 戒指 2009 (opposite top). 3-carat emerald-cut Colombian emerald, round diamonds, platinumWith diamonds undulating around the center Colombian emerald, what could have been a static design has been trans-formed into a ring with movement.

20. t h e r e s a r i n g 泰瑞莎 戒指 2009 (above and opposite bottom). 8.31-carat Colombian emerald, round diamonds, old-mine cut Colombian emeralds, 18-karat white goldInstead of setting diamonds around the center Colombian emerald, the stone is edged with old-mine cut emeralds set into prongs that are almost invisible. The emeralds are from the fabled mines near Muzo, Colombia, the area known for the best emeralds in the world. The design on the side forms the Chinese lucky number 8.

62 / S Y M P H O N Y O F J E W E L S

19. a g n e s r i n g 心眉 戒指 2009 (opposite top). 3-carat emerald-cut Colombian emerald, round diamonds, platinumWith diamonds undulating around the center Colombian emerald, what could have been a static design has been trans-formed into a ring with movement.

20. t h e r e s a r i n g 泰瑞莎 戒指 2009 (above and opposite bottom). 8.31-carat Colombian emerald, round diamonds, old-mine cut Colombian emeralds, 18-karat white goldInstead of setting diamonds around the center Colombian emerald, the stone is edged with old-mine cut emeralds set into prongs that are almost invisible. The emeralds are from the fabled mines near Muzo, Colombia, the area known for the best emeralds in the world. The design on the side forms the Chinese lucky number 8.

E A S T E R N A R T / 101

51. r o s e t a o w a t e r d r a g o n s h a n d o r n a m e n t 太极蛇 戒镯 2011 (opposite and above). Pigeon blood rubies, pink diamonds, light to vivid colored diamonds, coral, mother of pearl, rose gold, 18-karat white gold, Anna Hu created a black-and-white version of this piece (see pages 2–3) for the photographer Cindy Sherman, who wanted something unexpected; the Tao Water Dragons hand ornament is precisely that. The disk that the snakes are biting is the Taoist yin-yang symbol. The circle represents Tao, the unity of all existence, while the black and white (or coral and white, as here) halves symbolize yin and yang, contrasting forces in the natural world.

52. c l e o p a t r a n e c k l a c e 埃及艳后 项链 2008 (pages 102–3). 225 spinel beads weighing 245 carats, 248 diamond beads weighing 110 carats, yellow diamonds, tsavorites, demantoid garnets, 18-karat yellow goldThe snake is Anna Hu’s Chinese lunar year sign, so it is fitting that she created the Cleopatra necklace with a snake coiled around spinel and diamond beads. The theme carries through all the way to the clasp, which forms the tip of the snake’s tail.

E A S T E R N A R T / 101

51. r o s e t a o w a t e r d r a g o n s h a n d o r n a m e n t 太极蛇 戒镯 2011 (opposite and above). Pigeon blood rubies, pink diamonds, light to vivid colored diamonds, coral, mother of pearl, rose gold, 18-karat white gold, Anna Hu created a black-and-white version of this piece (see pages 2–3) for the photographer Cindy Sherman, who wanted something unexpected; the Tao Water Dragons hand ornament is precisely that. The disk that the snakes are biting is the Taoist yin-yang symbol. The circle represents Tao, the unity of all existence, while the black and white (or coral and white, as here) halves symbolize yin and yang, contrasting forces in the natural world.

52. c l e o p a t r a n e c k l a c e 埃及艳后 项链 2008 (pages 102–3). 225 spinel beads weighing 245 carats, 248 diamond beads weighing 110 carats, yellow diamonds, tsavorites, demantoid garnets, 18-karat yellow goldThe snake is Anna Hu’s Chinese lunar year sign, so it is fitting that she created the Cleopatra necklace with a snake coiled around spinel and diamond beads. The theme carries through all the way to the clasp, which forms the tip of the snake’s tail.