LALAOUNIS ILIAS

 
 

Ilias Lalaounis was a renowned Greek jewelry designer and goldsmith who founded the Lalaounis jewelry house. He was born on October 4, 1920, in Athens, Greece, and passed away on December 30, 2013.

Lalaounis was born into a family of goldsmiths and jewelers. His father, Demetrios Lalaounis, was a well-known jewelry maker who owned a successful workshop in Athens. Ilias Lalaounis started working in his father's workshop at a young age, learning the art of jewelry making and goldsmithing.

After completing his studies in Athens, Lalaounis went to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Louvre School of Decorative Arts. He was greatly influenced by the Art Deco movement and the ancient jewelry he saw at the Louvre Museum. Upon returning to Greece, he began creating jewelry that blended ancient techniques and motifs with modern design.

In 1948, Lalaounis opened his own workshop in Athens, where he created unique pieces that combined traditional Greek designs with modern elements. His jewelry quickly gained popularity, and he became known for his intricate designs and attention to detail.

In the 1960s, Lalaounis gained international recognition and began selling his pieces in high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's. He also opened a boutique in New York City, which became a destination for collectors of fine jewelry.

Some of Lalaounis's most famous works include the gold crown he designed for the Greek royal family and the Olympic medal he designed for the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also known for his use of ancient Greek symbols and motifs in his designs, such as the Greek key pattern and the owl, which was a symbol of wisdom in ancient Greek mythology.

Lalaounis was a prolific artist and created over 17,000 designs during his career. He was also a philanthropist and established the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum in Athens, which showcases his work and the history of jewelry making in Greece.

Today, the Lalaounis jewelry house continues to produce exquisite pieces that are sought after by collectors around the world.

Ilias Lalaounis created many famous works of jewelry during his career, here are a few notable ones:

  1. The Golden Olive Wreath: This was a commission for the 2004 Athens Olympics, and it was a modern interpretation of the olive wreath that was awarded to Olympic athletes in ancient Greece.

  2. The Gold Medallion of the Academy of Athens: Lalaounis designed this medallion to commemorate the Academy's 150th anniversary in 1987. It features a portrait of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and the Academy's logo.

  3. The Thessaly Treasure: This was a collection of ancient gold jewelry discovered in Greece in the 1960s. Lalaounis was commissioned to restore and recreate some of the pieces, and his work was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

  4. The Demetra Collection: This collection was inspired by the Greek goddess Demeter and featured pieces that incorporated wheat motifs, as wheat was one of Demeter's symbols.

  5. The Amphora Collection: This collection was inspired by ancient Greek pottery, particularly amphorae, and featured pieces that incorporated the distinctive shapes and patterns of these vessels.

  6. The Etruscan Collection: This collection was inspired by Etruscan art and featured pieces that incorporated Etruscan symbols and motifs, such as lions, panthers, and ram's heads.

These are just a few examples of the many famous works created by Ilias Lalaounis. His jewelry is known for its intricate designs, attention to detail, and the incorporation of ancient Greek symbols and motifs.