Big Pimpin'

Big Pimpin' is a gold and enamel necklace by the Boston-based artists Tanya Crane. Five large black and white enamel circles are done using the sgraffito technique, whereby white enamel is painted over in black and then the black is scratched away to reveal underlying color. The reverse of each enamel element is 24-karat gold plated. The large pendant hangs from a thick gold chain. This is an important element of Crane's work and is central to understanding the work she has made over the last decade.

The necklace is inspired by African kings and the large-scale statement necklaces, referred to as bling-bling, that many celebrities favor as a status of wealth and power. In her own words, Crane explains:

"One of the most prolific African kings was King Mansa Musa, King of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337. The 25 years of Mansa Musa's reign were the golden age s of the Mali Empire. Musa made an epic pilgrimage to Mecca displaying the splendor and majesty of Mali. His convoy purportedly included 60,000 men, including 12,000 slaves each carrying four pounds of gold bars and heralds dressed in silks possessing gold staffs, horses, and handled bags. Now imagine King Mansa Musa inserted into the 21st century. That was course of this necklace. On a darker, but more realistic side to contemporary bling culture, black bodies are still seen as quantifiable objects. Moneymakers. Hip-hop stars and athletes are modern slaves offered to the highest bidder."