The CAP Bijoux 1st year class presented their masterpieces. An exhibition on the “French Revolution”. The theme on which the 15 student exhibitors worked throughout the year.
Blue white red, the tricolor symbol of the French Republic is today the setting for the exhibition of jewelry produced by the 1st year class of CAP. Born during the French Revolution, from the combination of the colors of the king: white and of the city of Paris: blue and red, the colors of the French flag are displayed throughout the showroom. A decor in perfect harmony with the theme, “the French Revolution”.
The room is decorated to immerse the visitor in the universe of the French Revolution. On tables, stages and shop windows with the work of first-year CAPs
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The 1st year CAP Bijoux students are presenting their “Masterpieces” today and they have successfully staged their creations. In the center of the room on tables draped with the tricolor flag, four “scenes” take center stage over the exhibition. They are placed on red cubes and dominate the “Republican” jewels which are jealously guarded in showcases.
In this classroom converted into an exhibition hall, history has invaded the space. All surfaces carry objects related to the French Revolution. The walls are lined with the sketches of drawings that resulted in these masterpieces. They rub shoulders with the presentations given in history lessons.
It’s really talented, it’s exceptional, it’s fantastic to see that students like us can manage to do this kind of thing!
Einlimati Ibrahim, senior general student.
Here, visitors manipulate the gold-yellow colored figurines in the likeness of soldiers or onlookers. The characters are observed from all angles and despite these passages from hand to hand, they shine with a thousand lights. Students from the general high school came as neighbors.
A group of three teenagers engaged in big discussions snatch the figurines from their hands. “It’s quite impressive to see that it’s students like us; it’s true that they had a different training than ours, who arrived at this result. We, you give us that, says- her by taking a figurine, we can’t do it! We don’t even know how they did it! They explained the manufacturing process to us, but that doesn’t mean we’ll get there” enthuses Einlimati Ibrahim , general terminal student.
Visitors and student exhibitors interact around the making of figurines and jewelry
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The admiration is the same for this pupil of the general high school of Chirongui who follows a scientific education there. The manual work provided by the CAP bijoux impresses her enormously. “They are artists! It’s very original, I really didn’t expect that at all! I think they did an excellent job” enthuses the young girl.
In front of one of the stages stands another group of girls. The three girlfriends have their eyes riveted on a figurine. Among them, Julie. The young high school girl wears pretty modern earrings: in silver and hanging in the neck, the delicate creations feature beautiful blue stones. As a lover of pretty jewelry, Julie appreciates the work done on the small brass characters. With her girlfriends, they manipulate a soldier who appears in the scene of “the storming of the Bastille.” “It’s very beautiful, it’s very nice. I was told that it would be a day’s work for a figurine and two days for a more elaborate figurine. The work is very well done, whether for the small parts theater or for explanations“ notes Julie.
The explanations are the students who worked on the project; they are dressed in yellow T-shirts for the occasion, which are given to visitors. Julie benefited from the insights of her colleagues. “I asked them how it was worked, how they managed to achieve their goal, how long it took because it’s still a monstrous job! It’s quite successful anyway!” wonders the schoolgirl.
The emblematic episodes of the French Revolution are told with its images and the brass characters created by the students
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The work was done around four emblematic episodes of the French Revolution. The first, and probably the best known, “The storming of the Bastille in 1789”. On Tuesday, July 14, 1789, the capture of the old fortress; transformed into a prison by the rioters marks the decline of the absolute monarchy.
This is followed by the episode ofL“flight of the royal family to Varennes in 1791”. This scene traces the failed flight of June 20 and 21, punctuated by the arrest of the royal family on the road to Varennes-en-Argonne in the Meuse.
Then comes “The Mass Levy of 1792”. The missed escape of the royal family will precipitate a war between revolutionary France and the monarchies which feel threatened. That year, the numbers of revolutionary troops were at their lowest. 300,000 men are designated or drawn by lot to reinforce them.
The last scene is “Ldeath of Louis XVI in 1793. It depicts Louis-Auguste of France who goes to the guillotine on January 21, 1793 on the Place de la Révolution in Paris.
These historical facts gave life to four scenes. A work that was done in conjunction with the history-geography teacher. “It’s an atypical project. The goal was to try to marry history; here, revolutionary history in this case is the 230th anniversary of the First Republic, and jewelry. They are totally interested because that they like the practice. It’s much easier than written work for them” explains Luc Legeard, professor of history and geography
Jewelery and history give birth to masterpieces
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Rings, bracelets and pendants bearing the image of Marianne complete this exhibition. These so-called jewelsRépublicains” are made from coins of centimes. “We used brass to make the pendants and the signet rings. Then, we set the stone rings” explains Djannema Toiouilou, 1st year student in jewelry CAP. “My idea, continues the young girl, was to take a French coin with Marianne’s head on it. I cut out the face, then I stamped it to round it off so that that it adjusts to fit around a finger. Finally, I welded the face together to make a ring.”
“Republican” jewelry made from franc centimes
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Timothey Braun is the professional practice teacher for CAP bijouterie students. It provides details on the work of these apprentices. “To make their creations, they started from documents, they stylized and simplified them to make a metal object. (…) It is a work of design, it is also an artistic work. You should also know that it’s a profession of art so we ask them an artistic dimension with taste and notions of drawing.“
CAP students at work in their workshop
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The school year is coming to an end for CAP jewelry. These masterpieces were made for their 2nd year exam. It is now time to take stock with Rozalinda Mchindra one of the students exhibiting her works. “We know how to make bracelets, pendants, rings. It’s not much at the moment. We work with modern and ancient techniques. You can work very well with a drill, saws and machines than cutting by hand… I really like it and I intend to continue on this path“he says.
“What’s hard in jewelry is cutting the metal. Sometimes the files break… you have to start over, twice, three times… it’s hard but I want to make it my job anyway” completes this other student, determined to continue on the path despite the difficulties.
Timothey Braun, the CAP jewelery workshop teacher, taught these students different working techniques. In particular the watermark technique. “In Mayotte, jewelers mainly work this technique from silver or gold. It is a technique that we see during schooling which is 2 years. learns a lot of different skills like the one we saw on this exhibition. We saw the cutting of metal, the openwork of metal etc… the shaping from plate especially. In Mayotte it is a lot to from wire. It is a work which is also very complicated but we see it during the schooling.”
I think there should still be a few more people. It’s important all the same the story for us and the work invests deserves a little more visibility.
Julie, final year student at the general high school of Chirongui
“Mahorese jewelry is already very skilled and very beautiful, but these recently trained students can enrich it, bring new skills and techniques that are less used in Mayotte jewelry.” concludes Timothey Braun, CAP jewelery workshop teacher.
