[Jewelry making - Article 00169] - [Orchid] Scythian Art

[sumner silverman]

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    It seems that the nomadic art of the northern Eurasian Steppes has
    caught the attention of the art world and perhaps the public. In
    addition to the article in the National Geographic there was
    recently a quite wonderful exhibit at the New York Metropolitan
    Museum, "Nomadic Art of the Eurasian Steppes, the Eugene V. Thaw and
    other New York Collections". All metal, and wonderful metal.
    Buckles, harness fittings, plaques, knives, ......... you get the
    picture. There is a hard cover catalogue of the same title (Yale
    Press). Get it, don't wait. The Met also had a show (in concert with
    the Hermitage Museum) in late 2000, called "The Golden Deer of
    Eurasia", again, there is a wonderful catalog available published by
    the Met. At the same time, the Brooklyn Museum was showing a
    Scythian show and a few years earlier, a show of Thracian Gold
    circulated  around the country. I saw the Thracian show at the
    Boston MFA. 

    My love affair with these objects goes way back. I came across a
    book of wooden fittings for horse harnesses around 10 years ago, and
    since have collected every book I could find on the subject. I
    confess to being more visual than verbal in the case of art. The
    images called out in a most compelling way. They are an economy of
    design and function. Since they represent, for the most part, the
    era 3 - 6 centuries BCE, the work was not easily produced. So, much
    thought and investment of resources were expended on each piece. In
    my attempts at translating the images into metal, I have again and
    again been so impressed by the subtlety of shape and volume of the
    small sculptures. It is also obvious that these pieces had magical /
    mystical function. They were part of  a shamanistic tradition and
    the animals come alive. 

    On my first encounter with this art, I made several buttons of tiger
    heads, but that's all. The Golden Deer exhibit evoked something
    different for me. I had been working with 24k sheet, forming it in
    hand and filling it with epoxy putty. I looked at the work that in
    the show and had the sudden inspiration, "I can do that". For about
    a year after that, I worked on a series of images in 24k thinly
    rolled gold sheet. I guess it is repousse, however, it was done
    against leather and in hand without the use of hammers. The works
    are too fragile too be used as jewelry, I plan to frame them for
    display only. I am now working on a series of waxes that will be
    buttons, pendants and brooches (which are not on my website yet).
    Speaking of websites, I would love to invite you to see mine:
    http://www.sumnersilverman.com.html   All feedback welcomed. 

    Sumner Silverman  in Mass where the promise of summer is
    unfulfilled. 



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