The Necklace: From Antiquity to the Present [Hardcover]

Daniela Mascetti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

Long or short, gold, silver, bejeweled, or plastic, wildly experimental or traditionally crafted, what is worn around the neck cannot be ignored. In this stunning book, two highly regarded jewelry experts show how the necklace has been shaped and reshaped through the centuries by successive fashions, techniques, and materials. 300 illustrations, 100 in color.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The necklace has been a source or personal adornment throughout history. Mascetti and Triossi, who work in the jewelry department of Sotheby's in London, have compiled an authoritative yet delightful work, lavishly illustrated with reproductions of notable paintings, sculpture, and photographs exemplifying this fact. While the book is primarily devoted to the necklace in the 19th and 20th centuries, the authors have included important finds and research from the ancient world to the present, noting the various roles of adornment in fashion and culture. Virtually every type of material has been used in the design and creation of the necklace, from precious metals and gems to natural objects such as shells and feathers, and many are represented here. This volume is related in spirit to Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels (LJ 11/15/96) and The Master Jewelers (LJ 10/15/9), but more focused. Highly recommended for popular and academic decorative arts collections.?Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Short or long, choker or sautoir--two London-based Sotheby's experts tidy up the history of the necklace, from 30,000 B.C. to the present day. Gold and diamonds, of course, figure prominently in this lavishly illustrated documentary; so, too, do the materials of nature--particularly shells, used from the Paleolithic era to the twentieth century. The emphasis here is on trends, with the authors examining the evolution of techniques and styles as well as of the high society, royalty, and celebrities wearing the art. Much information is captured within captions; the reader will learn, for instance, that nineteenth-century micromosaics were usually fashioned from glass tesserae found in Italy and that gas pipe is the term of preference for sinuous 1940s necklaces. Few auction details and prices are given; then, again, this book affords all the joy of viewing exquisite artistry and classic design. Glossary appended. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810936828
• ISBN-13: 978-0810936829
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.1 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful design reference!, March 29, 2000

By 

Neda (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Necklace: From Antiquity to the Present (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book. It is fabulously illustrated with tons of pictures. I only wish that some of the black & white photos were in color. In fact, there are so many pictures that they really break up the text a lot. I wish more jewelry books had this problem! I also liked the concept of focusing solely on one piece of jewelry for the entirety of a book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for more modern jewelry, September 4, 2002

By 

A. Deval "thesassycelt" (Chandler, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Necklace: From Antiquity to the Present (Hardcover)

This book has wonderful pics including close-ups(wish more were in color though). Beware if you are looking for something on medieval/rennaissance jewelry though as this book offers only about 3-4 pages on this period in time with few pics. Focus of book is mainly on jewelry from 1700's to modern day (lots of pics and writing on items from 19th - 20th C.)with a short but interesting early chapter on Greco/Roman necklaces.