Gold—pure, indestructible, dazzling: Since the dawn of time, this precious metal has generated countless fantasies and beliefs. Whether it leads powerful rulers to the afterlife, casts a delicate glow on the Buddhist pagodas of Southeast Asia, illuminates the halos of saints, adds brilliance to the crowns of kings and popes, gleams on haute couture runways or glitters on a rapper’s grill, gold is an eternal symbol of wealth and glory, the prized element’s highly malleable nature lending itself to infinite metamorphoses.
Gold—pure, indestructible, dazzling: Since the dawn of time, this precious metal has generated countless fantasies and beliefs. Whether it leads powerful rulers to the afterlife, casts a delicate glow on the Buddhist pagodas of Southeast Asia, illuminates the halos of saints, adds brilliance to the crowns of kings and popes, gleams on haute couture runways or glitters on a rapper’s grill, gold is an eternal symbol of wealth and glory, the prized element’s highly malleable nature lending itself to infinite metamorphoses.
What accounts for such a lasting and universal fascination? Thanks to its irresistible luminosity and remarkable resilience, gold is the ideal medium to symbolize both visible and invisible forces. Artists from Gustav Klimt to Andy Warhol and Yves Klein have exalted its metaphysical and fantastic nature. Ancient Egyptians regarded gold as “the flesh of the gods,” and Louis XIV, the Sun King, adopting Apollo as his symbol, transformed Versailles into a palace bathed in gold and light, setting a standard for all the other royal courts of old Europe. As a symbol of victory, it imparts a glowing aura to the new gods of awards podiums and sports stadiums.
Gold has always added a divine spark to any human endeavor. The dazzling effect of the hypnotic metal is universal, and it remains the supreme representation of luxury. With insightful texts by art historian Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter, this handcrafted Ultimate Collection volume showcases 100 of the rarest and most precious treasures marrying natural splendor and human craftsmanship, from amazingly detailed artifacts of ancient global civilizations to surprising modern creations by artists Man Ray, Hu Qin and Chris Burden. This special edition handcrafted volume is nestled in a luxury gold leaf covered case with a clear sliding lid infused with gold flakes.
214 pages
125 illustrations
English language
Released in July 2022
W 45.1 x L 50.5 x D 8.7 cm
Handcrafted volume in a luxury
painted gold leaf clamshell case
10.8 kg
Art historian Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter is a journalist and art critic, regularly contributing to art publications including Beaux-Arts, L’OEil, L’Objet d’art, Le Journal des arts, and Connaissance des arts. She has published numerous books on primitive arts and the art of adornment, and she curated the exhibition Voyage dans ma tête, la collection de coiffes ethniques d’Antoine de Galbert at the Maison Rouge in Paris in 2010. With Assouline she has published many books, including Ethnic Style (2001), the two-volume Primal Arts (2006), “The Panther in Art,” for Cartier: Panthère (2015) and Les Mondes de Chaumet (2018).
Assouline’s Ultimate Collection is an homage to the art of luxury bookmaking. Hand-bound using traditional techniques, with color plates hand-tipped on art-quality paper, each page of this limited-edition series bears the unique imprint of the artisan. Treating a range of topics from jewelry and fashion, fine art and the ‘Impossible Collections,’ the Ultimate Collection curates culture from around the world and across the ages. Nestled in linen clamshell presentation cases, these books attract collectors, lovers of the printed page, and those who devour the culture of our time. Signaling a new level of sophistication for true connoisseurs, these unique books are works of art in their own right.
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