Vibrant Embellishments in Stone, Shell & Enamel
Lapidary refers to the art of cutting and polishing stones for jewelry and other adornments . . . it also refers to a person creating such work. And for those creatives fashioning this artform, an exhibition of such work promises to be an intriguing exploration.
Admittedly, an exhibition of a different sort, Vibrant Embellishments in Stone, Shell & Enamel centers not on a variety of featured stones but rather how they are presented: shell and enamel in jewelry, functional metalwork and hollowware set in silver, copper, and gold. To be admired are the variety of ways in which the ornamentations are carved or cut, polished and set.
Long before the Industrial Revolution, stone was cut, chipped and broken in strategic ways by a lapidary. It was then hand-polished by rubbing the stones together, often with pastes of water, sand or “rotten stone,” a mixture of limestone and silica called tripoli, which is still used today.
The use of glass and enamel also has a rich history as well. While beautiful in their own right, glass and enamel were incorporated into metal designs as a way to imitate various gemstones, a cost-effective enhancement.
The objects in this exhibition were created in the early- to mid-20th century by makers from all over the world, including the United States, the Navajo Nation, Scotland, Denmark, Mexico, Great Britain, Indonesia, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Korea, and China. They come from the museum’s extensive metals collection, including the Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Art, the Margo Grant Walsh Twentieth Century Silver and Metalwork Collection, and the Collection of Hattie Mae Nixon. Other pieces are on loan from an anonymous lender.
This exhibition is curated by Kendra Roberts, an artist, curator, and founder of Common Ground Arts, an arts consultancy based in Portland, OR. She also currently serves as the Director of Public Engagement at Blackfish Gallery, Portland’s longest running artist owned/operated gallery, and the President of the Portland Art Dealers’ Association.
turquoise. | Diam. 3 inches. | Margo Grant Walsh Twentieth Century Silver and Metalwork
Collection, gift of Margo Grant Walsh