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RUNWAY WORTHY, an exceptional necklace created and signed by Arthur Koby (American, b. 1940), an artistic master known for jewelry that strays far from tradition. Instead, Koby hand-selected more offbeat elements acquired during his international travels to realize his visionary collages of wearable art. This dazzling necklace is comprised of 5 translucent perched parrot relief appliques attached to iridescent white mother of pearl incised flower blossoms, the central bird also surrounded by elaborate leaflike elements of warm gold and copper hues atop another mother or pearl rosette, all suspended from a strand of leaf-shaped beads with spacer rings between. Koby created jewelry for noteworthy haute couture designers including Geoffrey Beene, Donna Karan, and Oscar de la Renta – and his jewelry has been worn by celebrities such as Barbara Walters, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Koby famously stated, ‘You have to be a little daring; that’s what adds excitement!’ A breathtaking headturner! Size: 23.5″ L x 5″ H at center (59.7 cm x 12.7 cm)
Director of Kent State University Museum Jean Druesedow, in the press release for Koby’s retrospective exhibition entitled, “Arthur Koby Jewelry: The Creative Eye” at (October 25, 2013 – October 5, 2014), summarized Koby’s artistic prowess perfectly: “Architect/sculptor/jeweler: all describe the work of Arthur Koby whom Vogue Magazine described as ‘one of the masters of collage.’ Designer Geoffrey Beene asked Koby to provide jewelry for his runway collections as did Oscar de la Renta and Donna Karan throughout the 1980s. He combines, manipulates and assembles unexpected materials, found in his worldwide travels, into necklaces that his clients can choose to wear in full evening dress or with jeans and T-shirts. The fantasy necklaces might be made of ‘drawer hinges, Victorian shoe buckles, diamond-faceted stones made from melted-down beer bottles, hand-carved buffalo horn and shredded or solidified balloons’ as the New York Times put it in 1987. ‘You have to be a little daring; that’s what adds excitement!’ said the designer.”
Condition: Slight age wear and a bit of new wiring to two areas. Signature on verso of pendant element is vivid. Accompanied by one additional leaf bead, but this seems to be an additional bead as we cannot see from where it might be missing on the necklace.
Provenance: ex-private Palm Springs, California, USA collection, acquired before 1965 (originally purchased by Marie Trott, then by Veronica Austin)
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.
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