It was his winding golden lace, cascading gems, and horticulturally inspired creations that earned Mario Buccellati his moniker, “The Prince of Goldsmiths.” A century later, the jewelry and silverware boutique he founded in Milan in 1919 has become a sprawling maison with clientele in every fashionable port of call.
A new exhibition in Shanghai captures this transformation from maker to monument. “The Prince of Goldsmiths. Buccellati Rediscovering the Classics” has taken over the Shanghai Exhibition Center in the city’s luxury district through Jan. 5 with six immersive sections curated by Alba Cappellieri, Ph.D., the director of the master’s program in Jewellery & Accessories Design at the Politecnico di Milano. “The Prince of Goldsmiths” comes after a first iteration in Venice last year, and a decade after Buccellati landed in mainland China with its Shanghai outpost. “China’s passion for craftsmanship inspires us,” CEO Nicolas Luchsinger says of the maison’s choice of locale for the exhibition’s second pit stop.
Visitors land in “The Buccellati Generations,” which features four brooches designed by Mario, Gianmaria, Andrea, and Lucrezia Buccellati emphasizing the role the family has long played in Mario’s business. “An Italian Family Story” continues the narrative, taking guests through the family’s archival photography, documents, and personal items. The show traces the maison’s journey, from its expansion by Mario’s brothers to its eventual stewardship by his children and grandchildren.
In “Manmade Wonders,” the inspirations of these three generations are broken out into themed rooms. “Wonders for Special Occasions” sees Italian couture interpreted through evening bags and clutches, craftwork projected larger-than-life and animated throughout the space. “Wonders of Beauty and Proportions” finds the commonalities between the formal inquiries of architecture and goldsmithing. Meanwhile, “Wonders from the Past” materializes Mario and his son Gianmaria’s interest in classical antiquities, highlighting silver Boscoreale cups made by the pair.
“Natural Wonders,” the next space, brings to life the Renaissance—an enduring touchpoint of the maison and the period from which Mario drew his earliest techniques. Projected stone arches stretch over period-typical botanicals, while down the corridor, “The Buccellati Craftsmanship” displays a collection of the designer’s tools. Finally, “The Gallery of The Icon” welcomes visitors to a room with towering white columns, upon which high jewelry masterworks from the 1920s to present day are projected in a swirling, immersive display.
Perhaps the most striking leitmotif of the exhibition is the remarkable consistency of the maison on view. Through decades, changing hands, and geographic expansion, Buccellati has kept its focus on craft and heritage techniques. It’s a feat few can pull off when companies pass from boardroom to boardroom instead of over dinner tables and generations. But Buccellati, after all, knows a thing or two about family.
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