Since classical antiquity, the mutual fascination between the Orient and the Occident has repeatedly brought about new art forms. In the Art Deco period, for example, the ornamental exoticism of Persian miniatures or Japanese prints, of Chinese or Middle Eastern decorative arts lent themselves perfectly to fulfilling people’s desire for decorative and unusual luxury. Also, the 1920s were characterized by technological progress and rapid societal changes, both of which were reflected in the jewellery and the arts of that era in the shape of flamboyant motifs and colours, wedded to clear-cut shapes and austere materials. The vanity and cigarette cases, clocks and watches from the Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection, created by the most prestigious Parisian jewellers, bear eloquent witness to this.
At Pforzhem’s Jewellery Museum the collection was presented for the first time in its entirety in Europe. Prince Sadruddin, multilingual, and multicultural, worked for over forty years for the United Nations, serving as UN High Commissioner for Refugees for twelve years.
A magnificent book about the collection was published by Thames & Hudson in 2017 under the title of "Jeweled Splendors of the Art Deco Era. The Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection".