Collier c. 1908 - 1910

This Collier was fashioned by G.J.J.M. Bielen. Can't you just imagine the delicate labor involved? Each section seems to grow organically from the next, like cells dividing. Bielen, the artist, must have been so meticulous, so intentional with every twist and turn of the gold wire. They are like little worlds. The eye travels through the filigree work, the pearls reflecting light, the forms repeating and evolving. The pearls look like full moons hung in a gold sky. I bet Bielen’s hands ached, their eyes strained, but they kept at it, driven by the desire to create something intricate and beautiful, something that would adorn and delight. It reminds me of the jewelry made in Ancient Egypt, the Pre-Raphaelites, and of course art nouveau. Artists are always looking, always borrowing, always pushing things forward, and hopefully we learn from them too.