Cats

I have two cats. Well, not really, but during a recent rummage through my jewellery box I came across two acrylic rings in the form of cats. Whilst thinking about them and wondering why I don’t wear them, I was reminded of two past exhibitions in MoDiP – Beastly Designs and Precious Plastics? Both rings could have been included in either exhibition and are good examples of the perceived transient nature of plastics. But plastic jewellery seems to have a good endurance record. Just take a look through websites such as Etsy and you will find examples of jewellery made from all types of plastics dating back to the early 20th century and people seem to enjoy wearing costume jewellery with a bit of history attached to it. There are some really nice examples in the museum and we will undoubtedly add to the collection in the future. Some recent additions to MoDiP’s jewellery collection include pieces by Sue Gregor and some interesting 3D printed examples. I am particularly fond of the Lucite brooch, which has been reverse carved and hand painted to bring out the pattern. I have a feeling it will probably make it into our forthcoming See Through exhibition.

 
So, why don’t I wear my two rings? Well, one ring has ‘whiskers’ which irritate the fingers on either side, but as it can be attributed to Tatty Divine I feel it is really worth hanging on to. I have a number of their pieces that are beautifully made and perhaps will be future treasures. The orange one is unsigned and I think was considerably cheaper to buy, but I am wary of catching it on things. Both are really just a bit of fun and meant to be worn and enjoyed. I just need the right occasion to bring them out of their box. 

Pam Langdown (Collections Manager)