Necklace

Norman Mizuno began making jewelry as a child in his native Hawaii, helping his mother fashion pieces from tropical seeds and nuts for the tourist trade. According to the artist, the beads that constitute this necklace, which he terms "clay body jewelry," were made between 1972 and 1980 and then reconfigured in 1990. Mizuno cites a wide variety of influences, from ancient Egyptian and Mayan artifacts to Las Vegas showgirl costumes.