Jewellery and figure | Meer

Jewellery has been part of human existence since prehistoric times, and depictions of human beings have always been a major theme in jewellery. However, the figural quality of a piece of jewellery is a variable factor. Some viewers accept it entirely, others merely allow it, some reject it outright.

Jewellery and Figure presents almost three hundred pieces of jewellery from the rich collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts, together with items borrowed from museums in this country and abroad, and from private collections. The exhibition shows this jewellery in its thematic or formal contexts, but it also contrasts individual pieces. The oldest prehistoric and historical jewellery is confronted with contemporary works by two dozen artists, telling stories of real and fantastical worlds. Together they form a unique whole, backed by an installation that highlights the individual details of jewellery.

The exhibition follows the project Jewellery – Form – Content, when a book was published under that title in Czech and English editions.