Once the home of a prince, the Teien Art Museum is now playing host to a king's ransom in jewelry comprising a truly sparkling survey of the bijoutier's art in the four centuries spanning 1540-1940.
However, this exhibition in the Art Deco-style former Tokyo palace of Prince Asaka is not only a stunning look at our ongoing love affair with all things bright and beautiful. Just as significantly, this is an event conceived and curated in Japan that actually asks questions -- rather than simply gathering works by big-name artists and charging the public a hefty fee to gawp at them.
The central question posed is a simple one: What is jewelry for?