Medusa, jewellery & taboos

One of the most ancient and universal forms of artistic expression, halfway between adornment and sculpture, jewellery - like the head of Medusa in Greek mythology - attracts and disturbs those who look at or carry it. Jewellery's image as too feminine, too precious, too ornamental or too primitive has long prevented it from being recognized as art.

This abundantly illustrated catalogue brings together practices that are often unaware of, or misunderstood by each other : artist and designer jewellery ; contemporary jewellery and work by high jewellery houses ; anonymous, ethnic and costume pieces. A continuation of the Medusa exhibition, this book takes an innovative look at jewellery, aiming to break down boundaries and deconstruct taboos through four sections : Beings, Assets, Bodies and Instruments.

Each of the four essays defining these approaches is accompanied by nine thematic articles written by internationally renowned specialists : theorists, historians, sociologists and artists. From original, even personal perspectives, they explore the evolution of the connections between jewellery, society and the individual, and investigate jewellery's deep and complex relationship to art.