The Necklace: From Antiquity to the Present - Hardcover

Mascetti, Daniela

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810936828 ISBN 13: 9780810936829

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 1997

Synopsis

Long or short, gold, silver, bejeweled, or plastic, wildly experimental or traditionally crafted, what is worn around the neck cannot be ignored. In this stunning book, two highly regarded jewelry experts show how the necklace has been shaped and reshaped through the centuries by successive fashions, techniques, and materials. 300 illustrations, 100 in color.

About this title

From Library Journal

The necklace has been a source or personal adornment throughout history. Mascetti and Triossi, who work in the jewelry department of Sotheby's in London, have compiled an authoritative yet delightful work, lavishly illustrated with reproductions of notable paintings, sculpture, and photographs exemplifying this fact. While the book is primarily devoted to the necklace in the 19th and 20th centuries, the authors have included important finds and research from the ancient world to the present, noting the various roles of adornment in fashion and culture. Virtually every type of material has been used in the design and creation of the necklace, from precious metals and gems to natural objects such as shells and feathers, and many are represented here. This volume is related in spirit to Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels (LJ 11/15/96) and The Master Jewelers (LJ 10/15/9), but more focused. Highly recommended for popular and academic decorative arts collections.?Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Short or long, choker or sautoir--two London-based Sotheby's experts tidy up the history of the necklace, from 30,000 B.C. to the present day. Gold and diamonds, of course, figure prominently in this lavishly illustrated documentary; so, too, do the materials of nature--particularly shells, used from the Paleolithic era to the twentieth century. The emphasis here is on trends, with the authors examining the evolution of techniques and styles as well as of the high society, royalty, and celebrities wearing the art. Much information is captured within captions; the reader will learn, for instance, that nineteenth-century micromosaics were usually fashioned from glass tesserae found in Italy and that gas pipe is the term of preference for sinuous 1940s necklaces. Few auction details and prices are given; then, again, this book affords all the joy of viewing exquisite artistry and classic design. Glossary appended. Barbara Jacobs

Edition details

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0810936828
• ISBN 13: 9780810936829
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224