Neckpiece
1965 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
With the continuing overlap between jewellery and fine art, individual expression was as important as wearability.
Elsa Freund was a jeweller, watercolourist and textile artist. Her interest in the arts began during early childhood. She worked as a teacher, later enrolling at the Kansas City Art Institute.
In 1936 she met Louis Freund, a painter, whom she married in 1939. In that year they established an art school in Eureka Springs (Carroll County). After various failed attempts with clay, Elsa Freund took her first ceramic classes in 1940 at the Wichita Art Association in Kansas. There she first developed a new technique, which became her trademark. Freund experimented with clay shapes which she hammered and fused with broken window or coloured bottle parts. Her husband described these works as 'Elsaramics'. At this point Freund had no experience with metals, and it was not until 1949 when the couple moved to Florida that she began to make jewellery.
Freund became best known for her jewellery and as an intuitive modernist, was compared to the greats of her time.
Elsa Freund was a jeweller, watercolourist and textile artist. Her interest in the arts began during early childhood. She worked as a teacher, later enrolling at the Kansas City Art Institute.
In 1936 she met Louis Freund, a painter, whom she married in 1939. In that year they established an art school in Eureka Springs (Carroll County). After various failed attempts with clay, Elsa Freund took her first ceramic classes in 1940 at the Wichita Art Association in Kansas. There she first developed a new technique, which became her trademark. Freund experimented with clay shapes which she hammered and fused with broken window or coloured bottle parts. Her husband described these works as 'Elsaramics'. At this point Freund had no experience with metals, and it was not until 1949 when the couple moved to Florida that she began to make jewellery.
Freund became best known for her jewellery and as an intuitive modernist, was compared to the greats of her time.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, glass and ceramic |
| Brief description | Silver circlet with silver, glass and ceramic pendant, by Elsa Freund, USA 1965. |
| Physical description | Simple circlet of polished silver from which hangs a pendant of overlapping crazed glass elements held on vertical silver wires, The glass elements, in white, blue, turquoise and amber, are backed with ceramic. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Elsa (Incised signature in the clay on the back of the pendant.) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Jane Hershey |
| Object history | Associated designs in the Prints Department. E.1100 to 1103-1992. |
| Summary | With the continuing overlap between jewellery and fine art, individual expression was as important as wearability. Elsa Freund was a jeweller, watercolourist and textile artist. Her interest in the arts began during early childhood. She worked as a teacher, later enrolling at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1936 she met Louis Freund, a painter, whom she married in 1939. In that year they established an art school in Eureka Springs (Carroll County). After various failed attempts with clay, Elsa Freund took her first ceramic classes in 1940 at the Wichita Art Association in Kansas. There she first developed a new technique, which became her trademark. Freund experimented with clay shapes which she hammered and fused with broken window or coloured bottle parts. Her husband described these works as 'Elsaramics'. At this point Freund had no experience with metals, and it was not until 1949 when the couple moved to Florida that she began to make jewellery. Freund became best known for her jewellery and as an intuitive modernist, was compared to the greats of her time. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.12-1992 |
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| Record created | December 9, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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