The Royal Piece
Neckpiece
1987-1988 (made)
1987-1988 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This piece is part of the Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection. Every year from 1987 to 2006, while David Watkins was Professor of Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery at the RCA, he invited four jewellers and silversmiths from outside Britain to give a week-long masterclass. The artists brought diverse skills, aesthetics and approaches. The first call on their time was to interact closely with the students. In addition, although concentrating on their teaching and working in an unfamiliar studio, each artist generously made an object for the RCA's collection. The Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection, now transferred to the V&A, is a major document of international contemporary jewellery, a tribute both to the artists and to the vibrancy of the RCA as a teaching institution.
This iron necklace, titled 'The Royal Piece' was designed and made by the German jeweller Otto Künzli in 1987-8. Its title refers to the 'Royal' in RCA and to the traditional symbols of royal authority which, in stylized form, make up the design: the horizontal bar represents the sceptre, below which a sphere or orb protrudes from an upturned crown. A second version, in the artists own collection, was made at the same time and is being allowed to rust and disintegrate with age.
Otto Künzli, one of the most influential of conceptual jewellers, was born in 1948. He is currently Professor of Jewellery at the Akademie der Bildenden Künst in Munich.
This iron necklace, titled 'The Royal Piece' was designed and made by the German jeweller Otto Künzli in 1987-8. Its title refers to the 'Royal' in RCA and to the traditional symbols of royal authority which, in stylized form, make up the design: the horizontal bar represents the sceptre, below which a sphere or orb protrudes from an upturned crown. A second version, in the artists own collection, was made at the same time and is being allowed to rust and disintegrate with age.
Otto Künzli, one of the most influential of conceptual jewellers, was born in 1948. He is currently Professor of Jewellery at the Akademie der Bildenden Künst in Munich.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | The Royal Piece (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Iron |
Brief description | Neckpiece, iron. Designed and made by Otto Künzli (Germany), 1987-88. |
Physical description | Long necklace of fine metal cable which descends to a horizontal bar, or sceptre, with pointed ends, below which is a sphere or orb. Unattached but held by the widest part of the sphere is a tall inverted crown which flares outwards slightly and terminates in six sharp points. |
Dimensions |
|
Marks and inscriptions | Unmarked |
Credit line | Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection |
Production | Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This piece is part of the Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection. Every year from 1987 to 2006, while David Watkins was Professor of Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery at the RCA, he invited four jewellers and silversmiths from outside Britain to give a week-long masterclass. The artists brought diverse skills, aesthetics and approaches. The first call on their time was to interact closely with the students. In addition, although concentrating on their teaching and working in an unfamiliar studio, each artist generously made an object for the RCA's collection. The Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection, now transferred to the V&A, is a major document of international contemporary jewellery, a tribute both to the artists and to the vibrancy of the RCA as a teaching institution. This iron necklace, titled 'The Royal Piece' was designed and made by the German jeweller Otto Künzli in 1987-8. Its title refers to the 'Royal' in RCA and to the traditional symbols of royal authority which, in stylized form, make up the design: the horizontal bar represents the sceptre, below which a sphere or orb protrudes from an upturned crown. A second version, in the artists own collection, was made at the same time and is being allowed to rust and disintegrate with age. Otto Künzli, one of the most influential of conceptual jewellers, was born in 1948. He is currently Professor of Jewellery at the Akademie der Bildenden Künst in Munich. |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.16-2007 |
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Record created | February 21, 2008 |
Record URL |
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