Anni Albers' Hardware Necklace: Found Objects as Jewellery
Anni Albers, renowned for her textile work, created a necklace from found hardware objects including an aluminium sink strainer, paper clips, and a metal chain. The piece is one of only twelve recorded jewellery items she made. Albers' approach to jewellery was influenced by a visit to Monte Albán in Oaxaca, where she discovered ancient Mexican treasures that combined materials like rock crystal with gold and pearls with seashells. This inspired her to look beyond conventional jewellery materials, finding beauty in everyday objects from five-and-dime stores. The necklace exemplifies her focus on material behavior, connection, and arrangement, echoing the logic of her weavings. Made around 1940, it transforms utilitarian items into precious adornment.
Key facts
- Anni Albers made a necklace from an aluminium sink strainer, paper clips, and a metal chain.
- The necklace is one of only twelve recorded pieces of jewellery by Albers.
- Albers was trained at the Bauhaus and later taught at Black Mountain College.
- She is best known as a textile artist who redefined weaving in the 20th century.
- Her jewellery-making was inspired by a visit to Monte Albán in Oaxaca, Mexico.
- At Monte Albán, she saw ancient objects combining rock crystal with gold and pearls with seashells.
- Albers sourced materials from five-and-dime stores, including bobby pins and kitchen-sink stoppers.
- The necklace was created around 1940.
Entities
Artists
- Anni Albers
Institutions
- Bauhaus
- Black Mountain College
Locations
- Monte Albán
- Oaxaca
- Mexico
- United States