Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
By Daria Fominykh
At the heart of Hangzhou’s West Lake Museum, the exhibition Jewel Case brings together more than 200 rare jewelry pieces from nearly 40 ethnic groups of the former Russian Empire, dating from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Co-curated by the Russian Museum of Ethnography and West Lake Museum, the exhibition weaves together aesthetics, identity, and history--from the Volga River to Siberia and beyond.
The selection process for the exhibition was as thoughtful as its storytelling. While not all ethnic groups could be represented due to logistical constraints, the team prioritized artifacts that were both visually impactful and culturally rich.
Curators Elizaveta Neratova and Vera Kholodnaya from Russian Museum of Ethnography began working on this project as early as 2018, with its first presentation held in Tianjin in 2019. Since then, the exhibition has traveled across cities like Minsk and Khabarovsk, evolving with each destination. In Hangzhou, it features a newly expanded section showcasing jewelry from the Soviet period--a rare exploration of how traditional forms transitioned to modern aesthetics through industrial revival and artistic craftsmanship after the 1917 Revolution.
From beaded belts of the Dolgans of the Far North to coin-stitched children’s robes from Dagestan, each item on display is more than mere decoration--it is a cultural symbol, deeply embedded with spiritual, social, and economic meaning. As curator Elizaveta explained, many of the adornments used by different ethnic groups originated as protective charms against evil, rooted in ancestral beliefs--surprisingly uniting all the diverse groups represented in the exhibition.
The curators emphasized the interconnectedness of Eurasian cultures--where influences traveled across borders, mingling and evolving. A standout example is the adoption of Caucasian-style attire by Russian imperial guards, symbolizing both admiration and assimilation. The exhibition thus serves as a living map of shared heritage rather than divided geography.
Open until September 1, Jewel Case invites visitors not only to marvel at its visual splendor, but to trace the many threads--artistic, historical, and human--that tie together the peoples of a vast and diverse empire.