Brooch

Unknown

ca. 1940 · plastic (Bakelite), metal · Costume Institute

This collection of largely ethnographic jewelry includes examples from cultures in South America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa and dates from the Pre-Columbian period to the twentieth century. Owned by renowned art collector and fashion enthusiast Muriel Kallis Newman, the collection represents her knowledge and appreciation of a wide range of jewelry design and making traditions. Numerous items in her collection are composite artifacts made from various cultures and time periods reappropriated as modern jewelry creations by or for Muriel. It is important to note that Newman wore many of the pieces in the collection, interpreting them to suit and express her own singular, often avant-garde style.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1940

Medium

plastic (Bakelite), metal

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Muriel Kallis Newman, 2008