Noble Jewels: North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection presents never-before-exhibited pieces of stunning North African jewelry and late 19th- and early 20th-century photographs by some of the period’s most prominent photographers. Organized by the Museum for African Art in New York, Noble Jewels will be on view at the AANM through Sunday, August 8, 2010. The exhibition in the Main Floor Gallery is free with Museum admission.
The public is invited to celebrate the exhibition opening with complimentary jewel-themed desserts from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 in the AANM’s Community Courtyard. Additionally, groups of eight or more may now opt for a new, North African-themed docent-guided tour of both the jewelry exhibition and the AANM’s permanent exhibits. Those interested in learning more about North African jewelry traditions may enjoy a full-color exhibition catalogue with essays by Cynthia Becker and Kristyne Loughran as well as specially selected publications from the Museum’s Library & Resource Center during their visit.
Visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org or call 313.582.2266 for further details on this exhibition and other Museum programs. To schedule a docent-guided tour, call 313.624.0202.
Collected over three decades by Xavier Guerrand-Hermès (biography appears below), Noble Jewels illuminates the diversity and beauty of traditional North African jewelry design. Ornate necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings show the inventive compositions and dazzling creations of North African jewelry designers and silver workers. Crafted from combinations of silver, coral, amber, coins and semi-precious stones, the exquisite collection includes wedding necklaces, hair ornaments, bracelets, earrings and fibula used to keep veils in place. The jewelry featured in Noble Jewels shows the common threads that run through North African societies, and also local variations in materials and motifs.
The Xavier Guerrand-Hermès collection, a portion of which has been given to the Museum for African Art in New York, is extraordinary for its breadth and quality. “From simple ornaments that would be worn by a child, to elaborate jeweled necklaces for women of wealth, the Guerrand-Hermès collection is a treasure that reflects the richness of the cultures of North Africa as well as the collector’s superlative taste,” says Elsie McCabe Thompson, president of the Museum for African Art.
North African jewelry came to the attention of Western collectors in the 19th century, the period when archaeological monuments in North Africa were being explored, visited, and, in some cases, pillaged. The most important photographers of the day, including the Scotsman George Washington Wilson, the Neurdine brothers from France, and the Turkish photographer Pascal Sabah, visited the region and photographed landscapes, architecture, markets, and people adorned in their jewels. Many of the images were used in postcards, while others remained hidden in little-known collections.
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