In Simulacra 1, Edition 2

This brooch is a flexible chainmaille structure of hand carved mother of pearl and vintage cutlery handles. I was initially compelled by the visual qualities of mother of pearl; the smooth, lustrous nacre being evocative of the Art Deco period as a signifier of technical innovation. In the 1930’s and 40’s mother of pearl and other natural materials were simulated with bakelite, phenolic resins and other synthetics to create costume jewellery and popular functional items. I am fascinated by how these simulations have found their own value throughout the history of adornment by extending further into the general populations (sometimes covertly). The vintage cutlery handles allowed me to explore the subtleties of the two different materials