The Fascination of Jewellery

The outstanding jewellery collection of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (Cologne Museum of Applied Arts, MAKK) will be showcased for the first time in a dedicated exhibition. The collection of around 1,600 works spans a period of 7,000 years: from ancient oriental gems from the 5th millennium BC to contemporary jewellery.

This current publication highlights the evolution of jewellery with over 370 carefully selected objects. Concise accompanying texts and a well-considered structure uniting chronological developments and themes that transcend epochs and cultures forge varied and new approaches. Jewellery is thus presented in all its impressive, creative diversity and understood both as an expression of luxury and a medium for the exploration of topics such as gender and identity.

In addition, the social, societal, emotional, and symbolic aspects of jewellery are evaluated and discussed in an essay by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson.

Text in English and German.