Chaumet's Historical Connection with Japan Takes Center Stage at World Expo 2025
Marquise Kikuko Maeda wearing her Chaumet tiara
From September 1 to October 13, Maison Chaumet showcases "Chaumet, An Ode to Living Nature" at the French Pavilion during World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. This installation highlights the jewellery house's deep historical ties with Japan, a relationship that spans nearly two and a half centuries.
Chaumet's connection with Japan began in the late 18th century when founder Marie-Étienne Nitot was tasked with cataloging Queen Marie-Antoinette's collection of Japanese lacquerware and Chinese porcelain after the fall of the French monarchy. This early encounter with Japanese craftsmanship would influence the Maison for generations to come.
During the Romantic period, under Fossin's direction, Chaumet's naturalistic designs drew inspiration from Japan's seasonal cycles and botanical traditions. The Belle Époque and Roaring Twenties saw the Maison fully embrace Japonisme, sourcing motifs from the influential magazine Japon Artistique while welcoming distinguished Japanese clients to their Place Vendôme location, including Marquise Kikuko Maeda and Crown Prince Hirohito.
The 1970s and 1980s brought renewed fascination with Japanese flora, resulting in pieces like the distinctive ginkgo necklace of 1977 and René Morin's tsuba-inspired collection.
In 2018, Chaumet organized "Les Mondes de Chaumet: The Art of Jewellery since 1780" at Tokyo's Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, featuring Pope Pius VII's historic tiara, specially restored for the exhibition. That same year, the maison launched "Chant du Printemps," a high jewelry collection reflecting traditional minka architecture and cherry blossoms in Art Deco style (photo above).
The dialogue continued in 2025 with "The Art of Colour" event, partnering with a major Japanese contemporary art gallery to explore connections between color, Japanese culture, and craftsmanship.
The World Expo installation represents the latest chapter in this enduring cultural partnership, celebrating both Chaumet's naturalist heritage and Japan's central reverence for nature.
