Hemmerle celebrates its 130th anniversary and continues to write new chapters in facing challenges
HONG KONG, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its foundation in 1893, Hemmerle has been quietly championing creative daring and artisanal know-how, handcrafting innovative treasures for discerning collectors from across the globe. Brothers Joseph and Anton Hemmerle began the tradition 130 years ago in Munich, when they acquired a local goldsmithing business. Two years later, they received the equivalent of a royal warrant from King Ludwig II to provide medals of honour and gem-set adornments for the Bavarian court. With the 20th century came a more modernist sensibility, as third-generation jeweller Stefan introduced avant-garde design to the family company with a unique private jewellery commission inspired by 19th century Berlin iron jewellery. This was followed by the sleek proportions of the maison's now-iconic Harmony bangle, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Together with his wife, Sylveli, who helped to cultivate and grow the business, they ushered in a new era for Hemmerle.
Today, under the stewardship of their son Christian and his wife Yasmin, the maison is continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary design, distinguished by bold silhouettes combining unorthodox materials – ancient woods, copper, iron and aluminium – with rare stones of impeccable quality. Respecting generations-old techniques, whilst remaining resolutely free in its aesthetic approach, Hemmerle produces all of its jewels in-house at its atelier, where many of the craftspeople have operated for decades. Here, each one-of-a-kind creation is worked on by a single skilled maker, who will often devote hundreds of hours to refining every detail. Around 200 pieces are produced each year at Maximilianstrasse 14, the site of Hemmerle's flagship since 1904, encompassing the spirit of sublime craftsmanship and experimentation. This is where Hemmerle's designs - inspired by nature, art and contemporary architecture – truly come to life.
The past two decades has seen a recalibration in the relationship between jewellery and the design world, with experts increasingly recognising jewellery as an art form in itself and more widely committed to studying the adornments with which we embellish ourselves. During that time, Hemmerle has been privileged to take part in exhibitions at institutions such as the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and Die Neue Sammlung, in Munich. In 2010, Hemmerle was honoured when a patinated copper and rubellite Harmony bangle was inducted into the William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, and again in 2014, as another Harmony bangle crafted with exotic wood, turquoise and garnets became part of the permanent collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. Four years later, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York accepted a gold, enamel and pearl bishop's cross made by Hemmerle in 1900, and exhibited at the Paris Exhibition that same year, into its archives.
Following a major renovation of its Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Gallery for Jewellery at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, a pair of Hemmerle's sapphire and iron tassel earrings, donated by the maison to the gallery, will go on public display. Due to re-open in 2024, the remodelled gallery will showcase roughly 150 pieces from the institution's jewellery collection, spanning some 4,000 years of human culture, and Hemmerle's creation is a fitting tribute to its contemporary aspirations, fusing the finest example of traditionally woven beads with the unexpected use of iron – a nod to that first unorthodox commission which introduced the maison's modernist aesthetic. Crafted in 2018, the earrings' crown motif is a tribute to the ancient embossing stamp designs which line Hemmerle's vaults, a link to its heritage as a medal maker, and a fitting embodiment of the current meeting the past in a creative output.
"The way Hemmerle simultaneously creates ground-breaking designs, often introducing new materials to fine jeweller y production, whilst also honouring a long history of craftsmanship is very exciting. By of fer ing robust apprenticeship training programmes to young artisans, Hemmerle also looks to secure the future of its unparalleled techniques and storytelling traditions.。"
EMILY STOEHRER, PHD
CURATOR OF JEWELLERY AT MFA BOSTON
The realm of art has been integral to Hemmerle since its earliest years. In 1905, the maison began making the Bavarian Maximilian Order, which was first established by King Maximilian II to acknowledge outstanding achievements in art and science – something it still does to this day. In the 1990s, while operating under an audacious new direction that broke down the historical barriers between art and jewellery, the house revived a near-extinct, early 19th-century technique of woven gemstone beads knitted in the round, transforming them into bangles and necklaces adorned with silky tassels. This dedication to artisanal excellence has meant Hemmerle's sculptural, unostentatious jewels – always richly layered with cultural references to everything from neo-classical ornamentation to contemporary architecture – have found a natural platform at the world's leading art fairs, where international communities of like-minded collectors gather to connect, explore and share ideas.
For almost three decades, Hemmerle has participated in the annual TEFAF art and antiques fairs, held at Palm Beach, New York and Maastricht. In the past, its pieces have been showcased at Cultura, the World Art and Antiques Fair in Basel, and at London's highly acclaimed Masterpiece. This year, Hemmerle featured alongside modern 20th century masters at PAD, in London's Berkeley Square, which celebrated its 15th anniversary. With an eye on what is to come, work has also begun on Hemmerle's first formalised archive, a completely digitalised rendition of its history and works due to be completed in 2024 and available for internal and academic research purposes – safeguarding the artistic and intellectual heritage of this 130-year-old family business for the future.
Like Hemmerle, our collectors are on an ongoing journey of self-discovery through the art of jewellery. And as we celebrate our 130th anniversary this year, we continue to embrace development, fresh challenges and new chapters ahead.
Alongside Hemmerle's home in Munich, you can learn more about our creations at the world's most admired art fairs. In the United States, clientele are also warmly received at private appointments in our permanent salon in New York City's Upper East Side as well as at our space in Palm Beach, Florida. Presentations are also available in countries including London, Hong Kong and Switzerland, so please do contact us to arrange an appointment.
"As we celebrate a milestone in our history, we wish to express our immense gratitude to all of you for your invaluable support with every facet of our journey. Your trust in our craft and vision allows us to continue to explore, innovate and express our creativity through the world of one-of-a-kind jewels. As we chart a new chapter together, we very much look forward to seeing you all around the world and to celebrate our shared appreciation of beauty in the everyday."
CHRISTIAN AND YASMIN HEMMERLE
SOURCE Hemmerle
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