Seasonal treasures
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Seasonal treasures

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
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PETALS OF LIGHT
PETALS OF LIGHT

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store’s holiday gift guide offers a plethora of choice for the special art lovers and history enthusiasts in your life. With each piece thoughtfully chosen to reflect the museum’s rich legacy, this curation encompasses decorative items for the home, art-inspired treasures, and colourful accessories that are guaranteed to delight those who appreciate the beauty of history and culture.

CELESTIAL MOTION

Crafted by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the 1890s, this statuette is a reduced variant of the artist’s renowned 13-foot tall ‘Diana’ sculpture, and offers a timeless piece of art history for any home collection. A rare second edition, it features a figure elegantly poised on tiptoe atop a sphere, set on a two-tier base with a matte patina that’s a blend of gold, copper, and zinc.

SET IN STONE

This sculpture of Thalia, the muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, is a beautifully crafted reproduction of the second-century Roman original. It closely resembles Greek models from the late 4th to early 3rd century BC, and spotlights Roman influence on ancient art. Created in collaboration with the Vatican Museums, it offers a valuable way to own a connection to classical relics.

GARDEN OF HUES

This tea set, also inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Irises’ painting, brings art into everyday life and includes a tea-infusing covered mug, a tea towel, and a tin of The Met x Harney & Sons Still Life Chamomile – making a thoughtful gift for art lovers and tea enthusiasts alike.

PETALS OF LIGHT

This porcelain cake stand features Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic ‘Irises’ painting, which is part of the Met’s collection of European paintings. It beautifully captures the vibrancy of spring blooms, evoked by the artist by pairing violet flowers with a pink background.

STEPS OF ORDER 

Add a vibrant touch to your wardrobe with these art-inspired socks featuring a design inspired by Piet Mondrian’s ‘Composition’. Lauded as a key work in his Neo-Plasticism style, these socks bring the geometric beauty of Mondrian’s universe into everyday fashion.

SACRED SENTIMENT 

These unique earrings take inspiration from a gold-and-serpentinite heart scarab (ca. 1492–1473 BC) once owned by Hatnefer, an Egyptian housemistress. In ancient Egypt, heart scarabs were essential amulets, believed to ensure a righteous heart for favourable judgement in the afterlife. This particular scarab, now housed in The Met collection, also features a moving passage from The Book of the Dead.

ETERNAL THREADS 

Based on an ancient Egyptian necklace from the Middle Kingdom (ca. 1878-1840 BC), this beaded choker features gold, lapis lazuli, and turquoise cylindrical beads, and offers a timeless blend of vibrant colours.

ABSTRACT EMBRACE 

This charming bear also pays homage to Mondrian’s ‘Composition’, making it a playful and unique tribute to his vision. Mondrian believed that Neo-Plasticism’s focus on geometric relationships could transcend art to influence design and architecture, so this gift is fitting for anyone with a passion for design.

GOLDEN ECHOES 

This hinged bracelet draws inspiration from an ancient Egyptian cuff (ca. 1479-1425 BC) in The Met collection — one of three pairs found in the tomb of Thutmose III’s wives. Crafted from burnished gold, carnelian, and glass, the cuffs bear inscriptions with the king’s cartouches and epithets. A valuable gift for someone who appreciates the timeless elegance of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship.

CYCLES OF TIME 

Also inspired by ancient Egyptian jewellery from the Middle Kingdom, this piece features vibrant cylindrical beads of gold, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, and is a complementary piece to the meticulously crafted bead necklace.

NILE DREAMS 

This huggable hippopotamus bears resemblance to ‘William’, an ancient Egyptian statuette in The Met collection. Crafted between 1961 and 1878 BC, the original blue-glazed figurine was made of faience and adorned with lotus blossoms and marsh plants to reflect its habitat along the Nile. This plush toy mirrors these charming details, bringing a piece of history to life.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Phone: 0 2651 4081-5, 08 9020 7510, https://store.metmuseum.org

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