Pearls of Makkum

Year:	2011
Location:	Makkum
Project type:	art & design
Product:	smoothed and half pearls in porcelain, finished with various glazes and decorations

Koninklijke Tichelaar has already completed a number of projects for the designer Alexander van Slobbe’s fashion label orson + bodil, such as the buttons for the 2005 collection and the hand-painted cap for the orson + bodil perfume bottle. This collaboration soon revealed that Alexander van Slobbe’s vision was at one with our ideas about the craft, the focus on history and the attention to quality. This led to the first joint project, 'Pearls of Makkum', the company’s first introduction to the world of fashion.

'Pearls of Makkum' is a series of enlarged, smoothed and half pearls in porcelain, finished with various glazes and decorations. The ‘pearls’ can be bought as a complete necklace, or worn separately. It is also possible to design your own unique ‘pearl necklace’, thanks to the variations in form and colour. The beauty of the necklaces with their unique colours and glazes is further enhanced by the luxury box designed by Irma Boom, who is responsible for the brand and house style of our company.

In 2011 new ‘pearls’ were added to this successful series. This time Alexander van Slobbe was inspired by ‘costume jewellery’, in particular that of the 1960s and 1970s. In beautiful clear and warm colours on a dark-grey background, the pearls, this time partially painted by hand in the same colour as the pearls, can be strung on silk string into elegant necklaces with an almost graphic appearance.