Joyce J. Scott, "Night in the City" Necklace,1990, glass and metal beads, PVC, photo and laminated print, synthetic suede, nickel silver on thread, wire and monofilament, 17 × 14 in. (43.2 × 35.6 cm), In the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
What is jewelry? Why do we wear it? What meanings does it carry? Traversing time and space, this exhibition explores how jewelry acts upon and activates the body it adorns. This global conversation about one of the most personal and universal of art forms brings together some 230 objects drawn almost exclusively from The Met collection. A dazzling array of headdresses and ear ornaments, brooches and belts, necklaces and rings are shown along with sculptures, paintings, prints, and photographs that enrich and amplify the many stories of transformation that jewelry tells.