From May 1 to October 7, 2025, L’ÉCOLE School of Jewelry Arts, with support from Van Cleef & Arpels, is presenting Stage Jewels of the Comédie-Française at the Twin Villas on Huaihai Middle Road in Shanghai. The exhibition welcomed over a thousand visitors on its opening day.
The show brings together more than 100 pieces, including stage jewellery, historical documents, and artwork. Highlights include a gem-set diadem once gifted by Napoleon to actress Rachel, a robe worn by Mounet-Sully in Jean Racine’s Athalie, and a brooch designed by René Lalique for Sarah Bernhardt. These items offer a rare look into the glamour of France’s historic theater scene.
Visitors can also view elaborate costumes lent by France’s National Center for Theatrical Costume and Design, shown alongside oil paintings, watercolors, manuscripts, and photographs. Together, the pieces paint a vivid picture of 18th-century and Romantic-era French drama.
A standout feature is a costume from Voltaire’s The Orphan of China (L’Orphelin de la Chine), an adaptation of the Yuan dynasty classic The Orphan of Zhao (赵氏孤儿). The play marked an early milestone in cultural exchange between China and the West. To highlight this connection, the exhibition pairs a costume inspired by traditional Orphan of Zhao designs with its European counterpart from Voltaire’s version.
This exhibition is part of the 19th Croisements Festival. Since its founding in 2006, the festival has become the largest foreign arts event in China and one of France’s most prominent cultural programs overseas. As a platform for dialogue and collaboration, it continues to strengthen artistic ties between China and France.
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