Sabyasachi And The Met Collab Explores How Art And Culture Travel Through Time And Evolve Into Contemporary Pieces

Sabyasachi Mukherjee and The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced on August 11 a multi-year collaboration that will see the Indian designer draw inspiration from the museum's vast collection of art and culture for contemporary jewellery, accessories and clothing.

The inaugural chapter of the collaboration will see Sabyasachi's label unveil a high jewellery collection inspired by the art of the Byzantine Empire at a runway presentation during New York Fashion Week on September 15.

The first in the list is a wrist cuff, crafted in a combination of 18-karat and 22-karat gold with garnet cabochons and studded with brilliant-cut brown diamonds inspired by a third-century Roman sculpture.

Source object at the MET: Marble sarcophagus with lions felling antelope, 3rd century. Roman. Gift of Carmel and Eugene Krauss M.D., 2021.

Next is a pendant necklace crafted in a combination of 18-karat and 22-karat gold studded with tourmaline garnet, jasper, lapis lazuli, and jade, inspired by a marble sculpture from the imperial Roman period depicting a family from Thrace, Northern Greece and the Danube province.

Source object at the MET: Marble funerary relief, 2-3 century CE. Roman. Fletcher Fund, 1949.

Third is a necklace crafted from a combination of 18-karat and 22-karat gold in a tiger-claw motif, studded with cabochons of tourmaline and jade and highlighted with brilliant-cut brown diamonds, inspired by a 12th-century Italian or Byzantine bone-ivory carved panel depicting animals.

Source object at the MET: Casket with Erates and Animals, 12th-century Italian or Byzantine. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.

The final ornament is another wrist cuff, this one crafted in a combination of 18-karat and 22-karat gold studded with cabochons of garnet and tourmaline, inspired by a late imperial Roman sculpture.

Source object at the MET: Marble sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons, dated ca. 260-270 CE Roman. Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1955.

The collection is inspired by the art of the Byzantine Empire from the fourth through the 15th centuries. It draws on Byzantium's history as a major centre of commerce, culture and artistic exchange, with its visual language shaped by influences from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia and civilisations of the Far East connected through the Silk Route via India.

For the collection, Sabyasachi has drawn from objects, motifs and techniques represented across The Met's departments of Greek and Roman, Medieval and Islamic art.

Imperial medallions, architectural adornments, ancient statuary and stonework, religious iconography and other objects of antiquity serve as starting points for the contemporary jewellery collection.

"This collaboration is about engaging with one of the world's great collections of art and the opportunity to reinterpret centuries of creativity through contemporary design," stated the designer.

"The Byzantine world was not defined by a single geography. It was shaped by the movement of people, ideas, and craftsmanship across continents, including India. What fascinates me is not only Byzantium itself, but the civilisations that informed it and the extraordinary artistic dialogue that emerged from interactions through trade," he added.

Debapriya Bhattacharya is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times. He started his career in 2022, working in newsrooms in beats like education, US news, trending stories, and entertainment. In his new role in the lifestyle desk, he seeks to deliver a balanced blend of research-driven reporting and creative storytelling from health and recipes to art and culture. Science, philosophy, food and pop culture are what pump his veins and help bring heart to his stories. Debapriya tries to see out subjects that will allow him and readers to explore new frontiers and improve the quality of life for all. The explorations can be both external and internal, as thoughts seek to be as chaotic as the greater universe. As a citizen of the world, Debapriya has been fascinated by the lives of people across the globe throughout time. His curiosity leads him to explore new linguistic and cultural landscapes to broaden his horizons and deepen his understanding of global narratives. Beyond the newsroom, Debapriya loves to participate in debate and theatre, spaces that he considers to be holy grounds for nuance and self-expression. A graduate from Ashutosh College, University of Calcutta, Debapriya completed his Master's degree from the same university in 2022. An ambiverted bibliophile, he loves his solitude as much as he adores stimulating conversations. And despite his reverence for tech, libraries continue to be his favourite place for research.Read More