Adored by kings and queens, a symbol of the manufacture of ancient civilizations and the countercultures of the young, a constant inspiration for artists, stylists and designers, the chain is one of the most loved jewellery items of material culture and the most worn in the history of costume.
With an authoritative critical essay and large selection of photographs, this book retraces the symbolic and aesthetic evolution of chain from early history to modern day and its intersections with art, fashion, design, manufacture and new technologies. A fascinating and skilfully illustrated journey that shows how extraordinary jewellery, able to link the past to the future in the name of creativity, beauty and innovation, can be generated from such a simple functional element.
Vicenza, Museo del Gioiello, October 2017 - March 2018
The ancient world
The Sumerians, Egyptians and Priam’s treasure: the first chains
Athens, Rome and Byzantium: belts and body chains
From medieval rigour to Renaissance splendour
From Baroque magnificence to the French Revolution
The Nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution and Venetian chain among craftsmanship and industry
The Twentieth century: among esprit nouveau and street style
The chain today among art, fashion and design
APPENDIX
How chain is made: tecniques and technologies
Shapes and types
The Vicenza district
Bibliography
Index
Gioiello & Jewellery - Third Edition
Corone e tiare
Ada Minola e le avanguardie artistiche a Torino nel secondo dopoguerra
Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo's collection
Storia, arte, moda (1490-1630)
