Community

Recently, it has come to my attention that some in our community think that only objects of the purest silver and gold are worth collecting.  People collect for many different reasons, and there is certainly room for the "Jewelry as Fine Art" approach.  I myself enjoy the pleasures of a piece of fine silver work done by a master craftsman.  My own collection, however, has nothing to do with fine art.  My academic training in history, anthropology and archaeology has influenced my collection to reflect these interests.   The most valuable finds for archaeologists are not those of solid gold…rather the most edifying are those humble objects used by ordinary people.  These may include earthen pottery, cooking utensils, farm implements, and yes, jewelry made from common materials such a bone, glass and base metals.

Collecting ethnic jewelry is for me an exploration of culture and history.  History may be written down by the ruling class, but it is lived by ordinary people.  I would not suggest that I have no interest in the ruling class.  I am the product, however, of more recent academic philosophy.  This philosophy believes that studying the ruling class without also studying the base population will result in an incomplete picture.  This is why I love  finding well-worn jewelry made from humble materials,  Low grade silver, base metals, glass and bits of plastic are fine with me as long as the piece is well-used and culturally authentic.

This also leads me to the question of "museum pieces."  I often see this phrase touted about by antiques dealers.  What does this mean?  I know what the antiques dealer means when he says it…"incredibly rare, made from the most precious materials and fabulously expensive."  I will disclose here that I have taken classes in museum studies and I have occasionally consulted for museums as a professional.  Do you know what a museum curator means when he says "museum piece"?,,,,"Didactic…something that will convey a story and educate the public."  In fact, many museum objects would command very modest prices on the open market.  Yes, there are some very rare and expensive pieces of jewelry in both the Bir and Starr collections.  There are also a number of pieces that are not rare and are still available to collectors at modest prices.  It was not the goal of these collections to include only the fabulously rare…rather it was to tell a story and create the context in which these objects were used.

I myself have tried to include pieces in my collection that tell something about the larger cultural context.  One of my favorite pieces is a temple ornament from southern Tunisia that is made only from plastic and scented paste beads.  The materials are very humble, but the workmanship is very detailed, and the piece is unique.  The woman who made it was of modest means and lived in a remote village, but the act of making this piece spoke volumes about her life and her place in society.  I do not wish to ignore her story in favor of collecting only objects owned by the wealthy.