AFA 18th Anniversary

2018 Antiques & Fine Art 167 Bonbonnières on chains are small boxes used for storing sweets—used for attracting the eye of potential suitors at a time when women could not openly solicit the attention of men. The swinging motion of this sparkling accessory and the light that played over its faceted jewels could be used to attract a gentleman, its candies providing a pretense for conversation. This elegant version by Tiffany & Co. would have been worn to an opera or fancy-dress ball. Prolific sculptor, printmaker, and jeweler Kiki Smith created a bracelet that adapts the general form of the bonbonnière as well as its potential to attract admirers. Conceived as a container for perfume, Bee Guile is a continued exploration of the artist’s interest in bees and a reference to the Greek myth of the monstrous Scylla, who ate sailors who ventured too close to her shore. “Sometimes, I think about Scylla with her skirt of dogs announcing her advance,” says the artist. “I made a honeycomb sculpture to contain perfume, with dangling bees flying ahead to arrive with the scent.” Displayed together, these modern works and their historical counterparts highlight the relationships across time between consumers, collectors, and highly skilled artists. For over four centuries, New York City’s silversmiths and designers have adapted international styles to create a distinct “New York” sensibility; the artists involved in this show continue that tradition for the present generation. These creations, along with the pieces that inspired them, are on display in New York Silver, Then and Now, on view at the Museum of the City of New York through June 2018. For more information, visit www.mcny.org.  Sara Spink is a curatorial associate at the Museum of the City of New York. Jeannine Falino , an independent curator, is curator of New York Silver: Then and Now . Tiffany & Co. (founded 1837), G. Paulding Farnham (1859–1927), designer, Bonbonnière, ca. 1889. 20K gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, pearls. 10¾ x 2½ in. Tiffany & Co. Archives (A1999.54). Kiki Smith (b. 1954), Bee Guile, bracelet, 2017. Silver, 3D printed, cast in silver; hand-finished with the help of Hillarey Dees, Mark Lyon, Tech-Designs, and Roni Casting Co. H. 1, 2 W. ½, D. 7 in. Courtesy of the artist and Pace Gallery. text continued from page 162