Bare On The Bling - Jewelry Exhibition

Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived a people, a strange and peculiar people with a taste verging on the unbelievable. Ok, so I exaggerate, the land wasn't far away, in fact it was here, but they did have peculiar taste - apparently these 'art nouveau' folk didn't care much for bling.....



Boston's Museum of Fine Arts' new exhibition, "Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry" is taking a look at the jewelry of these strange, minimalistic folk. Most of the pieces veer to the organic side - instead of diamonds it's enamel, elephant ivory, manipulated horn and molded glass. Lovely, who wouldn't want a piece of elephant or a slice of a rhino hanging around their neck?



"Art Nouveau jewelry is regarded by many as the most beautiful and technically sophisticated jewelry ever created. It was flamboyant, fantastical, sensual and poetic," says Curator of Jewelry Yvonne Markowitz.



The collection includes a selection of privately-owned pieces, some of which have never been on display before. Included are a circular gold box made by Lalique and a gold necklace the designer created for the mistress of French writer Emile Zola.