Thomas Gentille 1970 Crackled Egg Shells Pendant Bangle Bracelet In Carved Wood
An eggshells pendant bangle designed by Thomas Gentille (1936-).
A sculptural piece of wearable art, created in New York city by the artist and jewelry maker Thomas Gentille, back in the late 1970.
This bold convertible pendant-bangle bracelet is a one-of-a-kind piece, masterfully crafted in solid carved wood with the entire surface treated with crackled eggshells finish and accents of red polymers.
This remarkable bracelet was designed with the 'eggshell' technique Gentille has developed, with which he creates astonishing crackle effects. Made as a sculpture which can be displayed on its own by standing on its base.
Materials: Carved wood, eggshells and red polymer.
Weight: 102.55 Grams (65.74 Dwt).
Size: The inside oval size is 7.85 Inches (20 Cm) by 6.28 Inches (16 Cm).
Measurements: 50.8 mm by 95.25 mm by 101.6 mm (2.0 x 3.75 x 4.0 Inches).
Hallmarks: Signed by engraving, "T. GENTILLE".
Thomas Gentille
Was born in Mansfield, Ohio in 1936 and a resident of New York since 1960. Is an American artist who is represented by nine pieces in the permanent collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, more than any other contemporary jeweler. He is a leading exponent of art jewelry worldwide and is one of the leading lights of studio jewelry in the United States.
As a master of materials in the late 1950s was the first to use novel combinations, he uses anything that suits his aesthetic; eggshell inlay, wood, pure pigment, aluminum, zinc, resin, pumice, and even sawdust, to create works that are small in scale but monumental in scope. A technical innovator and mentor for many jewelers over the years, Gentille was an early director of the stellar jewelry program at the 92nd Street Y in New York and is the author of Step-by-Step Jewelry (1968), a publication acknowledged by many metalsmiths as a standard text.
In 2016 to mark his 80th birthday, Die Neue Sammlung design museum decided to invite the artist jeweler in America to stage the first comprehensive exhibition on his oeuvre. On display will be 180 items of jewelry, drawings and a film conceived and realized by the artist about the two most important cities in his life, namely New York and Munich. A book about this exhibition was published by Arnoldsche, with more than 180 jewelry objects and drawings, this book represents the first comprehensive retrospective of his life's work.
It was back in 2001 that Thomas Gentile was awarded the Herbert Hofmann Award in the jewelry section of the Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich’s annual exhibition of craftsmanship, and since the artist has exhibited regularly in the city. In 2004 he was presented with he Bavarian State Award, in Munich. His pieces are one-offs, which are often unique in their closeness to sculpture and architecture. A remarkable feature is the 'eggshell' technique Gentille has developed, with which he creates astonishing crackle effects.
What sets his jeweler apart is new techniques like marbleizing, achieved by crackled eggshell on matchbox sized brooches, and unusual materials like slivers of ivory piano keys. For Gentille, "the story is the materials." His artistry is astonishing considering the scale. No wonder they’re so labor intensive. Each one is more painting or sculpture, with some de Stijl in terms of geometry and palette. Each piece takes six months or longer to make," says Gentile, whose studio is on the Upper East Side. Also featured are Gentille etchings and aquatints.
Egg Shell on Copper necklace
Collections: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Brooklyn Museum-Luce Center for American Art. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Die Neue Sammlung-The Design Museum, Munich. Pinakothek der Moderne, Germany and Schmuckmuseum, Germany. Cooper Hewitt Museum Susan Grant Lewin Collection, New York. The Daphne Farago Collection, Key Biscayne Florida
Exhibitions: 2021-2022 SCAD Museum Of Art. Group exhibition. "Ring redux: the Susan Grant Lewin Collection".
2017 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Group exhibition. "The Jewelry of Ideas: The Susan Grant Lewin Collection".
2016 Munich Germany, Die Neue Sammlung (The Design Museum, Munich) opened, “Untitled. Thomas Gentille. American Jeweler”. A fabulous exhibition American Thomas Gentile a leading studio jewelery artist in his first comprehensive exhibition on his oeuvre. Die Neue Sammlung is presenting 190 jewelery objects and over 90 sketches supplemented by a film on the second floor of the Rotunda in Pinakothek der Moderne. Conception and curation of the exhibition: Dr Petra Hölscher. The exhibition will run through June 5 and is accompanied by a beautiful book by Arnoldsche Art Publishers.
2014 Museum Of Metropolitan Art New York, “Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection”.
2010 Montclair New Jersey, Gallery Loupe, "Thomas Gentille: Twenty-First Century," featuring 60 new works.
Literature: Dr. Angelika Nollert, Untitled. Thomas Gentille. American Jeweller, Arnoldsche Publications 2016. The Jewelry of Ideas: The Susan Grant Lewin Collection by Susan Lewin 2017, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Text by Ursula-Ilse Neuman and Thomas Gentille. Kelly H. L'Ecuyer and others, Jewelry By Artists In The Studio 1940-2000 Selections from the Daphne Farago Collection. MFA Publications 2010 Pp 210. for similar examples of this technique illustrated, see figures.
Provenance: Acquired in Ohio. A private collection in Palm Beach. Florida, USA.
Collateral: It is accompanied by a presentation jewelry box.
Condition: The overall condition of this bracelet is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the wood. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: B112624EENJ/.1168
