A pretty common sentiment is that jewellery is decorative as opposed to functional.
I'm not sure when this perceived split between 'functional' and 'decorative' came about- but High Modernists, like Adolf Loos who said "ornament is crime" and other bombast, kind of canonised the idea. (Such a Loos-er!)
Which is pretty funny because inevitably, there came to be such a thing as 'Modernist jewellery'- which, I suppose, is un-ornamented ornament?
(my brain just short-circuited)
Ed Weiner 1947
Anyway, decoration and ornament is functionial.
What? No it isnt, you are saying- its decorative.
Well, ask yourself, what does jewellery do? What is it for?
If you come up with any answer to that, (and there are many)- then this is the function of jewellery. It can be a social sign; of status or wealth (yawn), it can show what we belong to, what our values are. But more complex and hard to define is the role that it can play in our self-perception and self-esteem.
The following 'lipstick story' is an extreme example of this; and I'm quoting it here to draw a similarity in function between lipstick and jewellery- both of which we might often catagorise as non-essential, or even frivolous.
*warning distressing holocaust subject matter ahead*
Extract from the diary of Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Willett Gonin DSO, who was among
the first British soldiers to liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. He notes the arrival in the camp of a very large quantity of lipstick:
the first British soldiers to liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. He notes the arrival in the camp of a very large quantity of lipstick:
I don’t know who asked for lipstick. I wish so much that I could discover who did it, it was the action of genius, sheer unadulterated brilliance. I believe nothing did more for these internees than the lipstick. Women lay in bed with no sheets and no nightie but with scarlet red lips, you saw them wandering about with nothing but a blanket over their shoulders, but with scarlet red lips. I saw a woman dead on the post-mortem table and clutched in her hand was a piece of lipstick. At last someone had done something to make them individuals again, they were someone, no longer merely the number tattooed on the arm. At last they could take an interest in their appearance. That lipstick started to give them back their humanity.
Granted, this is an extreme instance of deprivation and suffering, but even so, it shows us that decoration is far more useful to us than we might realise.
So, think about your jewellery.
What does it do?
Sometimes it is mute and useless, lets admit that.
So, what would you like it to do?
Talk to me about this.
After thinking about it, I realized that most of the jewellery I own are mementos....a bangle from the time I worked in that little gallery, a pendant from the trip to the seashore, a ring left to me by my grandmother...and I wouldn't have it any other way =)
ReplyDeletelike ateriole my jewellery often holds the chaos of a memory in one tangible place for me to refer to but also i use jewellery as an expression of myself and the mood i am in, using colour and size to convey this, other days i wear nothing
ReplyDeleteIt helps me remember (wedding band, locket). It helps me think (complicated & heavy bronze & faceted black stone necklace). It brings me joy (fluorescent pink nylon string with bright beads).
ReplyDeleteMemories or a connection with loved ones make some pieces of jewellery special. Other pieces are special because there is something in the way that their beauty, individuality and craftsmanship come together to personally connect with me. It is art designed to be worn and enjoyed in a very personal way. Personal expression, appreciation of beauty and artisan skill, connection to the handmade - jewellery is all those things to me. Wearing a favourite piece always makes me happy.
ReplyDeletei'm currently wearing a ring that belonged to my stepmom's mother (she passed away before i met my stepmom... well over 30 years ago now). i stare at the ring all the time. i devoted a special dish to it's holding on the nightstand. i think about the pictures i've seen of my stepmom's mom. i delight in the fact that it's both regal (4 gold leaves wrap the garnet in place) and kitzchy (the garnet is a heart). jewelry is like a hand-held and portable sense of belonging. to a family or the person that you imagine(d) yourself to be.
ReplyDeleteThe connection with memory is a strange thing. Much of the jewellery that I value is a material link with the past. It bears witness to what's happened previously. It seems as much the case that it remembers, as I do.
ReplyDeletejewelry is never mute and useless...
ReplyDeleteArmour. During a particularly trying time a simple statement, or even one word, hiding on the back of or inside a piece of jewellery can remind you of your resolve.
ReplyDeleteWhat does jewellery do ? Being a jeweller myself, wearing my work shows a great deal about me, this takes courage ! The pieces I wear most are not my own, they are usually pieces picked up on holiday, or pieces given to me by friends and other jewellers. They all hold sentimental value and what they do is connect me to places and people and, wearing them does provide some kind of comfort. Often though it is a simple as adding a string of beads to an outfit just to add some colour and brighten my mood.
ReplyDeleteThanks for starting this post.
Jo
The shapes and textures and colours enable me to survive when all is bleak.
ReplyDelete