The Gallery Collection: Art History Jewelry
The Gallery Collection is jewelry inspired by art history, long walks in monumental museums, and the little-told stories of the images and symbols that shape our view of the past and present. It by no means even begins to encompass the vast history of art, which spans every inhabited place great or small across the globe and includes every culture on our diverse planet. Consider it more like a room—a small gallery—wherein I’ve hung a handful of meaningful works to contemplate and paid homage to them with my own method of interpretive reproduction.
Given the time, assets and freedom, I could have never stopped making this collection; that is to say that if your favorite artist isn’t featured, well, neither is mine. I also explicitly chose works by artists who were active in the early 20th Century and before, as I felt uncomfortable re-interpreting works by living or recently living artists for sale.
This collection is dedicated to my brother Steven, who was an avid reader and lover of all things history and art. He especially loved Gauguin, and as you’ll learn from my Van Gogh-inspired necklace, had an affinity for a certain painting by the artist.
Unicorn Tapestries Necklace
Unicorn Tapestries Necklace
The beautiful, mysterious Unicorn Tapestries have captivated human hearts for centuries, much like the mythical beast they portray. The symbolism, weavers and occasion for which they were commissioned is still largely unknown. Created in the late middle ages, the tapestries surely hung on the walls of an aristocrat’s home; large tapestries were beautiful and functional, helping to insulate cold walls and provide privacy between areas of the home.
My Unicorn Tapestries Necklace is modeled after one side a vintage locket depicting The Unicorn In Captivity, popularly considered the final panel of the tapestries, in which the unicorn is subdued in what appears to be happy captivity. The unicorn rests beneath a pomegranate tree bursting with ripe fruit dripping onto the unicorn’s back. The creature is encircled by a small fence and held by a loose tether, but appears to be content.
Unicorns were sometimes considered to symbolize Christ, so I chose a rosary-style gold-plated chain beaded with carnelian, a stone that has been used for centuries to create carved seals that people used as signatures. The chain measures 18 inches long.