Polyp Colony

John Paul Miller, who studied and taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art, inspired many jewelry makers represented in this exhibition, including William Harper and Thomas Gentille. Miller admired the sophisticated metalwork of the ancient Etruscans, especially their use of gold granulation (a delicate process in which tiny balls of pure gold are fused to a gold surface). Miller reinvigorated this ancient technique and used it to great textural effect on elegant pendants and brooches that recall mysterious marine creatures. Along with granulation, Miller used enamels to give subtle, mottled coloration to the surface of Polyp Colony.