Necklace

Like craftspeople working in other media, jewelry makers of the Arts and Crafts Movement favored unusual materials and finishes, searching for novel combinations of color and texture. They chose uncut, naturally shaped, semi- and non-precious stones, even pebbles, over faceted diamonds and rubies, and dull surfaces over polished. They wanted to highlight the inherent beauty of each element within an overall harmonious composition.A prominent member of the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, Josephine Shaw earned the admiration of her fellow artisans and the public for her outstanding jewelry. Shaw often drew inspiration from Asian cultures. She composed this necklace around the two pieces of carved, eighteenth-century white jade from China. She complemented these exotic, presumably expensive elements with rectangles of common green glass set in green-toned gold. The rhythmic repetition of the glass with the loops, rods, and balls of gold does not overwhelm but rather enhances the subtle tones and delicate carving of the jade.This text was adapted from Ward, et al., MFA Highlights: American Decorative Arts & Sculpture (Boston, 2006) available at www.mfashop.com/mfa-publications.html.