DIVINE. Venice, Italy.

Details. In a gothic palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, minute details make more real than reality buds of flowers, palms, pink flamingos, fish, monkeys and Mexicans sleeping under big sombreros. Their accuracy is even more remarkable given their small sizes. Funny pins, but also opulent necklaces and fancy bracelets, around 350 pieces part of a private collection of Costume Jewelry on display at the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti at Cà d'Oro.

No precious stones or gold but materials such as Bakelite, plexiglass or acrylic cleverly cut and decorated.
The first costume jewelry appeared in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. It triumphed later in America, around the 1930s, when important designers created these optimistic, joyful and affordable accessories for a flourishing market. Hollywood stars, such as Greta Garbo and Bette Davies, showed off eccentric pieces of costume jewelry in historical mega-productions, contributing to its success.

The pieces on display in Venice were created between 1930 and 1970.  Nature is a preferite subject but not the only one, as some of the titles of the different sections reveal: 'Patriots and crowns,' 'Timeless Mughul jewelry,' 'Masks and men,' 'Ah-h-h-h the Tropics' and, of course, 'From the enchanted garden' and 'The wonder of the animal kingdom.'

They make you dream, witty, sparkling, coloured, exaggerated, absolutely unnecessary.

Section 'Just for fun' closes the exhibition.

Photos:
TravelinaGarden, Cà d'Oro, Venice, December 2014.

Links:
DIVINE.  Splendori di scena. Gioielli Fantasia dalla Collezione di Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.
30.08.2014 - 11.01.2015  Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Cà d'Oro. Venice. 
http://www.cadoro.org/exhibitions-and-events/