EXHIBITION "MEN’S RINGS, YVES GASTOU COLLECTION"

From November 7th, 2024, L’ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts, will present the exhibition Men’s Rings, Yves Gastou Collection to the Middle Eastern audience for the very first time in Dubai, UAE. This exhibition will display the unprecedented collection of men’s rings which belonged to the late French collector and antique art dealer, Yves Gastou. 

The impressive collection stands today as a testament to an extraordinary quest, embodies a man’s 40-year passion. As the largest edition of the exhibition, featuring more than 700 exceptional rings, Men’s Rings is centered on five themes to allow an immersive exploration of the collector’s personal taste: History, Gothic, Christian Mysticism, Vanitas and Eclecticism.

Yves Gastou’s relentless quest took him on a journey across auction houses, merchants, workshops, flea markets, and studio collections, hunting for treasures. These signet, episcopal, posy or biker’s rings lend an idiomatic expression to the man’s insatiable appetite for exceptional objects that delight the eye with their intense beauty and enlighten the mind with their myriad functions, from wedding oath to mystical amulet, and from symbol of power to statement of defiance. Each collection of rings tells a story, reflecting the collector's unique personality and experiences. The energy they exude is a fusion of the wearer's emotions and memories, creating a powerful connection between the object and its owner. When adorned with such a ring, the collector harnesses a sense of confidence and empowerment, carrying with him a piece of his essence wherever he goes.

Photo: Men’s Rings exhibition. Photo : L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts – Benjamin Chelly