Museum object · Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
"Diminishing Spiral"
1950s
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Source catalog description
This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.
A sculptural, princess length necklace constructed from fifteen interlocking spirals of round brass wire. The spirals are graduated in size, with the smallest spiral links at each end of the necklace and the largest link at the center of the necklace. At the center and towards the release of each spiral link the metal has been hammered flat into a wishbone shape. The end of each spiral’s release is drilled with an eyelet and bent at a ninety-degree angle. The next link is threaded through the drilled eyelet. At the end of the proper left side of the necklace, the release of smallest spiral link has been bent into a hook clasp that attaches to the back end of the smallest spiral on the other end of the necklace. The is patinated black on the flattened ends and on the interior edges of the wire. A section of each spiral has a red copper appearance.
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Sources & collection details
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗
Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13
Catalog reference: 2022.97
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