October Necklace

Copied Jennifer Trask, October Necklace, 2002, 18k royal gold, 18k green gold, 14k palladium, 22k gold with swallowtail, monarch, queen, and silvery checkerspot butterfly wings; yellow soil from Verona, Italy and Spain; red soil from Arizona; ring-necked pheasant feathers; guinea fowl feathers; iron , 20 7⁄8 x 1 1⁄4 x 3⁄8 in. (53.0 x 3.2 x 0.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2003.19

Artwork Details

Title
October Necklace
Artist
Date
2002
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
20 7⁄8 x 1 1⁄4 x 3⁄8 in. (53.0 x 3.2 x 0.8 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
18k royal gold, 18k green gold, 14k palladium, 22k gold with swallowtail, monarch, queen, and silvery checkerspot butterfly wings; yellow soil from Verona, Italy and Spain; red soil from Arizona; ring-necked pheasant feathers; guinea fowl feathers; iron
Classifications
Subjects
  • Dress — accessory — jewelry
Object Number
2003.19
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2003.19

Artwork Description

Jennifer Trask invites the viewer to discover unexpected beauty in October Necklace. She conjures the displays of a European Wunderkammer (cabinet of wonders) or a Victorian collection, isolating minerals, insect wings, and feathers and placing them under glass in locket-sized cases. By focusing on the formal qualities of a material, Trask transforms natural specimens into abstract studies of color or texture.