Skip Navigation

Brooch

Decorative Arts and Design

Although best known as an abstract sculptor, Claire Falkenstein was also an innovative jewelry maker. In fact, she considered jewelry so important that she insisted that it be shown along with her large-scale sculptures throughout her career. Her jewelry was included in several seminal modern jewelry exhibitions such as the 1948 "Second National Exhibition of Contemporary Jewelry" in Minneapolis. This piece by her shown here was evidently especially valued by the artist and remained in her possession until she died.

MEDIUM Nickel, plastic
DATES ca. 1948
DIMENSIONS 5 x 3 x 1 in. (12.7 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 2007.21.5
CREDIT LINE H. Randolph Lever Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Brooch; an abstract design comprised of bent and hammered wire that forms crosses over itself to form a looped side and an angled side on which a spherical bead has been strung; the ends of the wire form the pin and clasp to secure the brooch.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Claire Falkenstein (American, 1908-1997). Brooch, ca. 1948. Nickel, plastic, 5 x 3 x 1 in. (12.7 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 2007.21.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2007.21.5_PS9.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 2007.21.5_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2013
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.
Claire Falkenstein (American, 1908-1997). <em>Brooch</em>, ca. 1948. Nickel, plastic, 5 x 3 x 1 in. (12.7 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 2007.21.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2007.21.5_PS9.jpg)