Hawaii
Lei niho palaoa (whale-tooth necklace), first half of 19th century
Human hair, walrus ivory, plant fibers
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund 2008.69

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Unspoken Messages: The Art of the Necklace

Saturday, June 6, 2009—Sunday, September 13, 2009
Cargill Gallery (103)
Free Exhibition

There are many messages contained in jewelry beyond the simple desire for self-ornamentation. One of the most common is to communicate wealth and social position. A necklace can do this through precious materials, elaborate design, or refined elegance. Concepts of cosmopolitanism and worldview, as well as cultural and religious beliefs, are often encoded into jewelry.

This exhibition is designed to inspire a different approach to thinking about necklaces. It also allows the public an opportunity to experience, in a new context, objects from the MIA's permanent collection. Necklaces for this exhibition are chosen from many world cultures and made of various materials, including ivory, hair, gold, jade, shell, coral, glass, metal and marble.