Hellenistic and Byzantine Jewelry at New York Met Museum exhibition
NEW YORK – Jewelry: The Body Transformed is now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The exhibition features jewelry from all over the world through the ages and asks the viewer a number of questions about this wearable art. What is jewelry? Why do we wear it? What meanings does it convey?
This global conversation about one of the most personal and universal of art forms brings together some 230 objects drawn almost exclusively from The Met collection, including striking pieces from Byzantium and Hellenistic Greece. A dazzling array of headdresses and ear ornaments, brooches and belts, necklaces and rings created between 2600 B.C.E. and the present day are shown along with sculptures, paintings, prints, and photographs that enrich and amplify the many stories of transformation that jewelry tells.
“Jewelry is one of the oldest modes of creative expression—predating even cave painting by tens of thousands of years—and the urge to adorn ourselves is now nearly universal,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “This exhibition will examine the practice of creating and wearing jewelry through The Met’s global collection, revealing the many layers of significance imbued in this deeply meaningful form of art.” “To fully understand the power of jewelry, it is not enough to look at it as miniature sculpture,” stated Melanie Holcomb, Curator, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. “While jewelry is ubiquitous, the cultures of the world differ widely regarding where on the body it should be worn. By focusing on jewelry’s interaction with—and agency upon—the human body, this exhibition brings in a key element that has been missing in previous studies of the subject.”
The exhibition opens with a dramatic installation that emphasizes the universality of jewelry highlighting precious objects made for the body. Great jewelry from around the world is presented in a radiant display that groups these ornaments according to the part of the body they adorn: head and hair; nose, lips, and ears; neck and chest; arms and hands; and waist, ankles, and feet.
The remaining galleries are organized thematically by the kinds of performances jewelry orchestrates. The Divine Body examines one of the earliest conceptions of jewelry, its link to immortality. Rare head-to-toe ensembles from ancient Egypt that accompanied the elite into the afterlife, as well as items from the Royal Cemetery of Ur, implicated in one of the most mysterious rituals of ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) are on display with the regalia of the rulers of Calima (present-day Colombia), who were lavishly covered in sheets of gold.
The Regal Body examines the use of jewelry throughout history to assert rank and status. Among the examples on display are exquisite sapphires and pearls from Byzantium, finely wrought gold from the elites of Hellenistic Greece, and ivory and bronze from the Royal Courts of Benin. “Your might is made known by the throne, and by the tiara, and by the pearl-spangled robe,” a court official wrote in the time of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and quoted on the wall of the exhibition for the section entitled Stagecraft and Statecraft.
The Transcendent Body focuses on how jewelry is used to traverse the temporal and spiritual realms. This section celebrates jewelry’s power to conjure spirits, appease gods, and invoke ancestors. Sculpted images and finely-wrought jewelry from India underscore the active role of gold ornaments in Hindu worship. Adornments from Coastal New Guinea, splendidly fashioned from shell and feathers, speak to jewelry’s capacity to channel the spiritual well-being of the wearer.
The Alluring Body explores how jewelry engenders desire. Woodblock prints and period ornaments convey the ways in which hair dressing indicated a courtesan’s availability in Edo Japan. Photographs and spectacular jewels highlight the eroticism of pearls in the Victorian era and beyond. Jewelry designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, Art Smith, Elsa Peretti, and Shaun Leane document how contemporary artists push the limits of glamour, courting danger and even pain.
The Resplendent Body shows the marriage of material and technique for the purpose of ostentation. Why wear jewelry, if not to be seen? Examples include the opulent adornment of the Mughals; the aesthetic of accumulation in the gold and silver jewelry of the Akan and Fon peoples of West Africa; and the elegant designs of such legendary jewelry houses as Castellani, Lalique, and Tiffany & Co. Contemporary jewelry makers, including Peter Chang, Joyce J. Scott, and Daniel Brush, who question and re-imagine notions of luxury and adornment are also celebrated in the exhibition.
With new acquisitions, acknowledged masterpieces, and recent discoveries from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jewelry: The Body Transformed, on view through February 24, 2019, tests assumptions about jewelry in the past and present. The exhibition also confirms that these precious objects are among the most potent vehicles of cultural memory.
Read more at thenationalherald.com
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Michael W. Pendergrass License: CC-BY-SA pixabay.com
- 1) St. Thomas Hellenic School honors 1821 and the Feast of the Annunciation in NJ
- 2) US President on Greek Independence Day: Alliance with Greece stronger than ever
- 3) Philadelphia Icarians mark 85th Anniversary and organize Apokriatiko Dance
- 4) American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association honors Past Supreme President
28/03 18:41
Attica Region to channel 640 bln euros to services of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
28/03 17:32
Greece to auction three-month T-bills on April 3, 2024 in a book entry form
28/03 15:46
Greece's Meteora Pyli Geopark added to UNESCO Global Geoparks network
28/03 14:44
IPTO announces framework agreement tender for undersea power cables in Greece
28/03 11:49
IOBE: Construction sector in Greece records robust growth and good prospects
26/03 23:51
St. Thomas Hellenic School honors 1821 and the Feast of the Annunciation in NJ
26/03 21:59
PM at Economic Club of Canada: Greece is an attractive investment destination
26/03 17:56
Greek State budget primary balance reaches a surplus of 3,378 million euros
26/03 11:45
Ancient Messene to get upgraded visitors' facilities after approval by Council
23/03 17:43
New requirements for 'Golden Visa' program to kick in on March 31
23/03 16:49
Athenians continue to head out of the Greek Capital for March 25 long weekend
23/03 16:47
Greek Parliament lights to be turned off for Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 pm
22/03 21:54
US President on Greek Independence Day: Alliance with Greece stronger than ever
22/03 19:51
High diplomacy and geopolitics at Delphi Economic Forum IX in Greece
22/03 19:32
Tax authorities enable payments with foreign bank cards in Greece
22/03 14:19
22/03 00:24
Greece ranks first on list of countries with fastest business environment progress
22/03 00:02
Hellenic Police acquires first electric VAN-type highway patrol vehicle
21/03 22:41
21/03 15:33
Unseen Museum presents "The stele of the twin babies" exhibition in Athens
20/03 22:48
Health Minister: 95% of Greek hospitals to perform afternoon surgeries
20/03 21:52
Greek Deputy Minister of Justice meets delegation from US Embassy in Athens
20/03 21:44
Greek Interior Minister to visit United States and Canada on postal vote
20/03 20:55
Philadelphia Icarians mark 85th Anniversary and organize Apokriatiko Dance
20/03 18:01
Development Minister: We continue the battle against high prices in Greece
19/03 22:28
President of the Hellenic Republic meets her Ethiopian counterpart in Athens
19/03 20:57
19/03 20:25
FinMIn: Moody’s analysis records significant progress in the Greek economy
19/03 11:15
Sector chiefs report: Good news for Greek tourism in 2024 at ITB Berlin
18/03 22:20
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association honors Past Supreme President
16/03 13:01
Greek Deputy Foreign Μinister meets her Slovenian counterpart in Athens
16/03 12:56
Greek-Canadian Diaspora to welcome Greek Prime Minister to Toronto
16/03 11:28
Greek Migration Minister visits refugee hosting facilities in Kavala, Drama and Serres
15/03 21:50
Greek Minister announces conference on defence ecosystem in Athens from Lithuania
15/03 13:45
PM: More than 80 hospitals and 156 health centres being upgraded in Greece
15/03 12:55
Piraeus Port and Genoa Chambers of Commerce ink memorandum of cooperation
14/03 23:43
President of Hellenic Republic meets Prime Minister of Slovakia in Bratislava
14/03 22:58
American Express report highlights Global Travel Trends during 2024
14/03 22:52
Four hospitals in Attica Region already organizing afternoon surgical procedures
14/03 22:49
US Ambassador to Athens: More flights from the United States to Greece and Thessaloniki
14/03 22:43
Greek archaeologists discover ten ancient shipwrecks off Aegean island of Kasos
14/03 19:32
No new intubations for Covid-19 recorded in Greece for the first time
14/03 18:36
Extra road safety measures adopted for Greek pre-lent carnival and Clean Monday
14/03 14:48
14/03 12:54
Electric buses to be deployed on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by May
13/03 22:23
13/03 20:11
Prices of basic lenten products either lower or equal to last year's in Greece
13/03 19:15
US Ambassador to Athens: Greece secures NATO readiness via Alexandroupolis
13/03 17:19
13/03 12:26
Greece shows new costumes for revamped Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony
12/03 22:46
Epirotes Society of Philadelphia ‘Omonia’ organized 16th Annual ‘Tsipourovradia’
12/03 21:38
The President of the Hellenic Republic to visit Slovakia on March 13-15
12/03 20:29
First afternoon surgeries in Greece kick off at Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki
11/03 23:58
Greek Foreign Minister: We stand behind Montenegro's European perspective
11/03 23:47
Visa Express for Turkish citizens to commence on five Greek islands in March
11/03 19:40
11/03 18:49
Microsoft Data Center construction kicks off in Spata next to Athens Airport
11/03 17:53
Dodecanese Federation marked 76th Anniversary of Unification with Greece
09/03 22:23
08/03 14:27
Prime Minister: Radical change in Greek education and a brave reform for growth
08/03 14:24
Traffic restrictions expected in Athens mid-morning to evening on Friday due to protests
08/03 14:24
Applications to out-of-court settlement more than doubled in Greece in February
08/03 13:18
Metro station 'Maniatika' near Piraeus Port to be closed on Saturday and Sunday
07/03 14:12
Athens wins World Travel Award 2024 as the top city-break destination in Europe
06/03 22:51
WTTC data show Greece and Portugal lead league for growth in tourist arrivals
06/03 20:28
Greek Tourism Minister at ITB: 2024 will be another excellent year for sector
06/03 19:47
Greek Foreign Minister to meet UAE Minister of Industry and Technology on Friday
06/03 18:43
European Union actions of 274m euros to support cultural heritage in Greece
06/03 16:37
'Odontotos' rack railway temporarily stopped until landslides issue is resolved
06/03 14:40
Minister: Bringing about the return of Greeks abroad 'a moral duty'
05/03 14:28
Archdiocese of America Eparchial Synod to meet on March 14-17 in Florida
05/03 14:21
05/03 14:11
ITB BERLIN 2024 opens with excellent bookings after global rise in travel in 2023
05/03 12:24
Greek PM at Athens supermarket: Consumers 'can already see lower prices on the shelf'
04/03 22:02
Greek Health Minister: Afternoon surgeries at state hospitals to begin shortly
04/03 21:47
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Whitestone Community marks 49th Anniversary
04/03 20:27
Labor chief: Greece to train 500,000 workers in digital, green skills by 2025
04/03 19:44
Foreign Ministry to organize event on 'Women, Peace, and Security' on Friday
04/03 15:12
Athens Riviera | The summer experience with Athens as a background
29/02 22:54
Consumers to see price cuts up to 18.1% in 3,000 Greek supermarket products as of Friday
29/02 21:44
Greece and Germany set up Working Group on shipping cooperation
29/02 21:30
Wyndham Rewards’ Member Month offers 5 weeks of deals, discounts, and bonus points
29/02 21:03
Temple of Poseidon at Sounion near Athens to get new lighting system
29/02 21:02
29/02 20:47
Greece is represented by 60 firms at GULFOOD 2024 exhibition
29/02 19:58
Greek government gives 1+1 month extension for cash register-integrated POS terminals
29/02 19:49
Archangel Michael Church Dance Program shines at Folk Dance Festival in SF
29/02 15:39
'Renovate-rent' programme to be launched, Minister tells Greek Parliament
29/02 12:39
Rio-Antirrio ferry line in central Greece closed due to strong winds
28/02 21:34
Weather with heavy rain and storms in Greece as of Sunday night
28/02 17:31
CEO: The goal is for PPC to become a leading player in Southeast Europe
28/02 17:04
New Wyndham Hotels Market Managing Director of Central and Eastern Europe
28/02 12:21
Minister: Transactions with the Greek State will be further simplified in 2024
28/02 11:57
27/02 17:25
UN Tourism hails Saudi Arabia's historic milestone of 100 million tourists
27/02 15:00
Greek Prime Minister: Relations with Armenia can become even more productive
27/02 14:26
Wyndham: New growth cycle in Greece for the largest hotel chain franchise in the world
27/02 13:15
Price cuts of up to 15% in important product categories in Greece after March 1
27/02 12:46
Athens taxi drivers' protest rally in progress from Athinon avenue to Messogion
26/02 18:30
Annual Summit of Women Political Leaders (WPL) to be held in Athens in April
New requirements for 'Golden Visa' program to kick in on March 31
PM at Economic Club of Canada: Greece is an attractive investment destination
Greek State budget primary balance reaches a surplus of 3,378 million euros
Ancient Messene to get upgraded visitors' facilities after approval by Council
St. Thomas Hellenic School honors 1821 and the Feast of the Annunciation in NJ
Greek Parliament lights to be turned off for Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 pm
Athenians continue to head out of the Greek Capital for March 25 long weekend
Tax authorities enable payments with foreign bank cards in Greece
High diplomacy and geopolitics at Delphi Economic Forum IX in Greece
US President on Greek Independence Day: Alliance with Greece stronger than ever
IPTO announces framework agreement tender for undersea power cables in Greece
IOBE: Construction sector in Greece records robust growth and good prospects
Greece to auction three-month T-bills on April 3, 2024 in a book entry form
Greece's Meteora Pyli Geopark added to UNESCO Global Geoparks network
Attica Region to channel 640 bln euros to services of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
Greek Deputy Transport Minister flies in first test seaplane flight from Lavrio port
AEGEAN concludes transfer of stake in Animawings to Memento Group
Athens streets reopen after private university protest rally and minor incidents
Sailing from ports of Piraeus and Lavrio back to normal after high-velocity winds end
3-year stay and work permits approved for 30,000 undocumented migrants in Greece
Minister: Greece to support Bulgaria and Romania in joining the Schengen zone
Athens wins World Travel Award 2024 as the top city-break destination in Europe
Epirotes Society of Philadelphia ‘Omonia’ organized 16th Annual ‘Tsipourovradia’
Ski resort on Mt. Pelion of central Greece in full operation
Greece ranks first on list of countries with fastest business environment progress