The Brooch: A Versatile Jewel with Rachel Church
- Date
- 28 Apr 2021 · 1:00PM - 2:00PM
- Price
- Pay what you can (Free, £3, £5 or £10)
- Venue
- Online via Zoom [GMT]
- Event type
- Events
What makes a brooch such an interesting, versatile piece of jewellery? Brooches began life as dress fasteners, but their decorative potential soon made them the perfect way to make a splash and send a message.
In this talk, Rachel Church will look at how brooches have been used since the middle ages as beautiful dress accessories, as tiny pieces of art, or as canvases to send a message about politics or identity.
This event is part of the online programme developed to coincide with the exhibition The Brooch Unpinned: The Goldsmiths’ Company Collection 1961–2021. The Brooch Unpinned celebrates the art of the brooch and the dynamic relationships it creates – between maker and wearer and between wearer and viewer. It explores a selection of British brooches from the Goldsmiths’ Company’s unique jewellery collection, tracing the evolution of contemporary design in this most wearable and revealing of accessories.
Who is the speaker?
Rachel Church has written and lectured widely on jewellery history and design. She is the author of 'Rings' (V&A/ Thames and Hudson 2011 and 2017) and 'Brooches and Badges' (V&A/ Thames and Hudson 2019). She has worked as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and was part of the team which redeveloped the William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery.