Baubles, Bangles and Beads
American Jewelry from Yale University, 1700-2005

	Brooch by Marcel Boucher and Cie

It is surprisingly unusual for universities to display exhibits focused on jewelry. But one such exhibition has surfaced at the Yale University Art Gallery. Baubles, Bangles, and Beads: American Jewelry from Yale University, 1700-2005, covers a broad expanse from colonial jewelry and the Arts and Crafts movement to costume and art jewelry, as well as exploring the use of adornment for status and mourning. This exhibit is the first of its kind in the Gallery’s history, and the first time many of these pieces from the Yale collection have been in the public view.

The exhibit lies in a small room just off the main hall on the third floor of the Gallery, and is well lit. About twelve cases line the perimeter and center of the room, containing the hundred items comprising the collection. The flow of the exhibition begins in the Colonial era. The first cases show pieces either made in the colonies, imported from England, or bought from abroad, and moves into the first mass-produced adornments. A Chatelaine watch is particularly striking and quite complex, with the blue enameling contrasting sharply with the gold and silver. Notable, too, are two shoe buckles from Myer Myers, an accomplished Jewish silversmith whose works were extensive in the late Colonial era. A few examples from the Arts and Crafts movement, an attempt to break away from the commercial machine-made jewelry, are also on display. Moving on to the next few cases are what Assistant Curator Erin Eisenbarth states is the strength of the Yale collection, costume jewelry. Created as a less expensive imitation of fine jewelry between the World Wars, roughly three cases are dedicated to this artform. Quite a few of these are eccentric, such as the Gold Peanut Bib and Choker

Brooch by Carence Crafters

by Pauline Trigère, or the disconcerting, and apparently controversial, belt buckle by Mimi di N. The piece resembles an opera-goers mask, replete with glass eyes. Eisenbarth jokingly commented that people either hated it, or loved it and wanted one of their own. Moving on from costume jewelry lies two displays devoted to art jewelry, made for the sake of art innovation rather than solely commercial venture. Eisenbarth was also proud to point out two pieces in the gallery’s collection, a bracelet by Frank Patania, Sr., gracefully designed with sterling silver contrasting to polished coral, and a necklace by his son, Frank Patania, Jr.

The last two sections—on cultural and social organizations, and mourning and remembrance—encompass general themes rather than work from specific eras. Eisenbarth said that these sections were used to put in pieces that she wanted to show, but would not have fit into the context of the exhibition otherwise. Assorted medals, from military to Masonic, and even a Lance Armstrong Foundation plastic bracelet occupy the case for social status. Included is the Yale president’s collar, a William Harper piece, which usually resides in the collection until the president requires it for

	Bracelet by Frank Patania Sr

commencement. At the time of this writing, that will occur in roughly a week, whereupon it will be removed from the exhibit and then returned afterwards. A quite uniquely designed mourning ring is also shown, which uses wings to conceal a locket of hair, to be displayed at the owner’s discretion. The mourning and remembrance section also includes two newly acquired portraiture bracelets.

Baubles, Bangles, and Beads is presented within an unusual layout. Instead of caption cards for every piece, there is a separate pamphlet available at the entrance, along with one catalog, and all the items are numbered. In such a small area, this certainly can be advantageous. It is a bit unwieldy, however. The numbering in the cases is a bit asynchronous, making it difficult to progress linearly through the exhibition. Also, the lack of descriptions could very well reduce the exhibit’s impact on more casual viewers. While the catalog at the entrance provides a quite detailed explanation of the various periods and themes, with only a single copy available, it is less likely viewers will be inclined to educate themselves.

Despite these design curiosities, there might very well be a counterbalance centered in the theme of the exhibition itself: that of its centrism in American culture. Unlike exhibitions that cover foreign and ethnic topics, Baubles, Bangles, and Beads is more likely to strike home with the average viewer, who could

Poppit Necklace by Coro, Inc.

perhaps even have lived through some of the periods represented in the exhibit. As I was speaking to Eisenbarth, I saw this firsthand when an onlooker interjected, commenting on how much she loved the exhibit. She even went so far as to point out the Poppit beads in the costume jewelry section, and how she had worn these as a child. Eisenbarth herself had just prior stated that many visitors had expressed interest in the exhibition. The content of this show, relating so personally to many Americans, perhaps presents how much we associate ourselves with our own culture.

This new exhibit is an oddity presently among university galleries, but hopefully just the beginning of a new trend, whether around the United States or simply the Yale Art Gallery itself. Eisenbarth mentioned that in the process of making this exhibition, Yale acquired quite a few new items. She hopes that they will be able to strengthen the weaker aspects of the collection in time.

Baubles, Bangles, and Beads: American Jewelry from Yale University, 1700-2005, shows through July 23, 2006. The Yale University Art Gallery is located at Chapel at High Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520; telephone 203.432.0600; website: artgallery.yale.edu. The catalog is available from the museum’s website or bookstore for $12.50. Photographs by Patrick R. Benesh-Liu.

Published in Ornament Magazine, Volume 29, No.4, 2006.
—Author Patrick Benesh-Liu is Editorial Assistant of Ornament.
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