Jewelry: The Body Transformed

  1. Designer(s) / Creator: Unknown.
  2. Name of the Artifact: Headdress with phoenixes and flowers.
  3. Origin: China
  4. Season/Year: Ming Dynasty/ 10th-17th Century
  5. Function – The function of this is to be worn on human heads. It could be designed for the imperial concubines, emperors’ wives.
  6. Fabrication – It is made of gold, rubies, pearls, cat’s eyes, and iron. They use these luxurious materials to symbolize wealth and good fortune.
  7. Form – It came from the Ming Dynasty, it could be inspired by wearables created before this Dynasty, which is Tang and Song. In the Tang Dynasty, the clothing industry had reached its peak at the time, since in that era China was strong and wealthy. The dynasties after Tang wanted to duplicate clothing like before.

I first noticed the beauty of the phoenixes and the eye-catching rubies. It is very attractive and different from other jewelry. If I live inside of this piece of jewelry, it could be a heaven for me, since the overall design reminds me of an amusement park. Since everything is carefully made, and each detail is beautiful. If I could wear this piece nowadays, I would wear it to a costume party, fashion show, or photo shoots, since it is too extra to wear on a daily base. The headdress can transform our heads into a different level, because of its delicacy. It will always relate to the notations of beauty since the beauty of it never gets old.

 

  1. Designer(s) / Creator: Unknown
  2. Name of the Artifact: Tomb of Princess Sitha Thoryunet, Lahun.
  3. Origin: Egypt
  4. Season/Year: The Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, 1887-1818 BC
  5. Function – The object is a wig for people to wear on their heads. It is made for a princess in Egypt.
  6. Fabrication – It is made of hair.
  7. Form – It came from Egypt, people worship over luxurious beautiful shine hair, thus wigs were created. Wigs are essential for upper Egyptians, it symbolizes their class and wealthiness.

When I first saw this piece, I was immediately attracted to it, since it is a wig, which is very different from everything else in the museum. I feel like if I live in this wig, I would feel comfortable and cozy, I would enjoy it. It is like a soft hairy bed. If I would wear this in the modern context, I would wear it to a costume party or photo shoots, since it is something that not very in trend in average people’s eyes. It would be weird wearing this in a normal day, since it does not fit in with the notations of beauty nowadays, but it was trendy back in ancient Egypt. I think if I had the chance to recreate this wig, I would use grass as a material since nowadays people workship organic and cruelty-free products. Moreover, if the hair of this wig is transparent instead of jet black, it would be very interesting, since the real hair hidden beneath the wig will be seen by people. But, it would also be very futuristic, since it is transparent. Turing something ancient into futuristic is during a change of color.

 

 

  1. Designer(s) / Creator: Unkown
  2. Name of the Artifact: Sandals and toe stalls.
  3. Origin: Where it was made: Egypt
  4. Season/Year: New Kingdom Dynasty. 1479-1425
  5. Function – The purpose of the sandals are designed to protect people’s feet and toes. They are made for loyalties in ancient Egypt.
  6. Fabrication – They are made of golds. Gold can symbolize wealth.
  7. Form – Back in Ancient Egypt, people wear sandals all the time, most of their feet are being exposed in the air, they thought of a solution of creating toe stalls to protect their feet and toes.

When I first saw this, I was amazed and started to wonder if humans can really wear that or not. If I live inside of it, the toe stalls can be my beds, I can play around on the sandal area during the daylight, but I would get extremely cold when I sleep, since it is made of gold, and gold is metal. This pair of sandals would squeeze people’s feet into that designed toe shapes, it is hard to put it on, and walk with. It is not related to the notations of beauty, since it is weird in every way, however, it may be attractive for people with feet fetish. Thus if I would remake this in the modern context, I would make the toe stalls transparent, thus people who love to show off their toes and do that, and their feet can be protected from any danger.

 

Jewelry Object: Necklace

Date: 1905

Creator: Florence Koehler

Material: Pearls, Enamel, and gold

 

Art object: The birth of the Virgin

Date:1467

Artist: Bartolomeo di Giovanni

Medium: Tempera and oil on wood.

Comparison:

Pearls usually symbolize purity, just as the painting “the birth of the virgin”, since the term virgin reminds people of innocence and purity, people sometimes can automatically relate pearls with young girls. Maybe beneath the girls’ garments in the painting, they are actually wearing pearls. Moreover, Pearl necklaces are worn by women, women of any age. However, in painting history, pearls were often worn by young girls. Artists and painters love to depict innocent young girls in pearl jewelry.

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