The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum

Shiny sparkling bobbles. Brilliantly beautiful colors. Lavishly wonderful ornaments. There is magic in the air But it’s not Christmas we’re talking about… This is the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum.

Much like the work created by Ilias Lalaounis, the Museum named after him and founded in 1993 is a “one of a kind” in Greece. Unique indeed, the Museum is housed in the original workshop and includes more than 4000 pieces of jewelry and micro sculptures from over 50 collections designed by Lalaounis between 1940 and 2000. The director of the Museum is Ioanna Lalaounis, daughter of the great artisan and as much a visionary as her father was.

The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum (ILJM) is the only jewelry museum in the country. In essence, it represents 5000 years of a traditional art, but it is so much more than just a Greek jewelry museum. With collections like “Jewelry Inspired from Other Civilizations,” “Collections Inspired from Nature” and “Collections Inspired from Space, Biology and Modern Technology” it has received international attention and acclaim for its focus on decorative arts.

In addition to historical exhibits it has produced, the Museum has also featured the work of many talented international artists in an effort to project the history of jewelry, not only through the treasures within in Greece, but those that exist globally. Since 1996, ILJM has exhibited the works of thousands of artisans from around the world.

One such exhibit, Artist’s Jewellery in Contemporary Europe: A Female Perspective, organized in 2000 by the Museum was the most significant exhibition of avant-garde studio jewelry from eight major European museum collections.

In 2016, the exhibit New Territories featured a selection of 50 Greek jewelry artists, both established and emerging. Handcrafted, these jewelry objects are the antithesis of commercial high-end, fine, or mass-produced jewelry.

In addition to the exhibitions, the Museum also offers educational programs for adults, children and individuals with special needs. A key objective is to educate, excite and engage children. Specially designed programs and activities about history and process engage curiosity and spark the desire to learn more about the wonderful mysteries of the art form – jewel, artifact, ancient, modern, handcrafted, technology…

In fact, education is a key component of the Museum and in 2017, ILJM will launch the Hephaistos Summer School – a special college summer program in Archaeology, History, and Technology of Western Jewelry. Classes cover the history of jewelry from glorious Classical Greece to amazing contemporary artistic productions. In addition to lectures on relevant issues from esteemed academics, students will also have the opportunity to see various workspaces, collections and get hands on experience.

The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum is a rare gem in Greece. We encourage you to leave your assumptions of what a “jewelry museum” might be at the door and simply prepare to be dazzled….

 

To learn more about the Museum, visit:

http://www.lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr/en

 

To learn about the Hephaistos Summer School Program, visit:

www.jss.gr