Surface or Substance? Jewelry as Adornment and Power
Monday, November 06 at 12:40 PM EST
Description
The human desire to embellish and ornament is timeless. Over the course of millennia, it has been chronicled and critiqued, lauded and lambasted. Jewelry is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of this desire. But does our cross-cultural fascination with jewelry represent simply a superficial fancy for adorning ourselves, or can this impulse to ornament our bodies mean something more? This panel addresses jewelry’s multiple functions across cultures and over time; its participants – hailing from various professions and cultural perspectives – discuss jewelry’s deeper meanings: from symbols of political power and spiritual significance, to souvenirs of friendship and love – or even agents of provocation.
Panel
Beth Wees
Curator, American Decorative Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Freyja Hartzell
Assistant Professor, Bard Graduate Center
Navina Haidar
Curator, Islamic Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Jonathan Wahl
Jewelry Artist and Director, Jewelry Center, 92nd Street Y
Moderator
Ulysses Dietz
Curator, Decorative Arts, Newark Art Museum (far left)