Jewellery has a history stretching back over 100,000 years. Yet it has only been studied seriously as a phenomenon since the fifties. 'Resulting in misconceptions and tunnel vision,' in the opinion of Marjan Unger. On 17 March she will defend her doctoral dissertation on a multidisciplinary vision of jewellery.

Pill brooch by Paul Derrez, ca 1997, plastic and metal.

Many publications about jewellery fail to clarify the actual concept of jewellery. 'An item of jewellery is something so everday that is seems unnecessary to define it,' Unger explains. Which is why authors make such diverse claims about the subject. Dutch has two different concepts that are closely related: 'sieraad' that refers to an item of jewellery and to things that people wear as adornments. and 'juwelen' that refers to items made of precious metal and set with precious stones. In English the term jewellery is used for both concepts, but in German, French and Italian the same distinction is made as in Dutch.' Jewellery has economic value and so is always treated seriously.

Necklace of gold and amber, Firma Van den Eersten en Hofmeijer, dating from the 1920s.

The basic shapes of items of jewellery, such as rings, bracelets and necklaces, are same the world over and are remarkably consistent across all periods. Unger: 'Items of jewellery are made by people, but equally important they are worn on the human body. A wearer can give particular meaning and even allure to a piece of jewellery, without changing it in any way. As a researcher you have to be aware of the relationship between the maker, the wearer and the observer of jewellery. In general, the art historical approach to jewellery is strongly dominated by western notions.'

Skipping rope, brooch by Chis Steenbergen, 1954, in silver and gold.

Brooch by Jo Citroen, ca. 1963, in her book Unger calls this 'wild gold'.

Unger has also analysed different approaches to jewellery, taken from such fields as psychology, anthropology, material culture and fashion history. 'And I have also studied the moral aspects, from the viewpoint of philosophy, based on ideas about beauty and religion,' Unger explains. 'Many attutides from these disciplines do appear relevant, but to date they have remained too far otside the picture. In ethnographical publications in particular you can find interesting examples of the social functions of different types of jewellery and their ritual value.'

Silver liberation brooch with the arms of the allies and an English inscription.

Symbolism in jewellery is a theme without end. Unger: ‘Certainly if you consider that it has a longer history than any other artefact, apart from weapons. You can divide the symbolism into three important categories: power, fertility and sexuality, and memories or memento.' In general, the emphasis is on meanings and forms that are considered to be new. 'But the backbone of our profession is the very continuity in the symbolic forms and meanings. Items of jewellery are above all signs of coherence in a society; it is only if these contexts are recognised that jewellery be seen as a sign of distinction between groups of wearers. What fascinates me is the way makers and wearers of jewellery are continually able to vary these signs.'

Silver liberation brooch with the flags of the allies and a Dutch inscription.

Unger's conclusion is straightford: ‘The many different perspectives for considering an item of jewellery have to be evaluated and combined in a new theoretical framework.' In so saying, she gives a hint of a possible direction for future research: 'More research needs to be done on the ceremonial jewellery of the various civic groups, particularly as far as jewellery in the Western world is concerned. We can take anthropology and the study of material culture as examples.'

Sleeping Beauty by Robert Smit, ca.1990, gold pendant and chain.

Througout her career, Unger has worked in different contexts with jewellery and jewellery designers, and she already has several publications on jewellery to her name, including the book 'DutchJewellery in the 20th Century', that served as the starting point for her doctoral research. In the course of her research she also amassed a sizeable collection of almost 500 items of Dutch jewellery. On obtaining her PhD, Unger donated this special collection, that focuses primarily on the period from 1930 to 1970, to the National Museum. According to a press release from the Museum, the items donated perfectly complement the Museum's already existing collection. The Museum can now exhibit a collection of Dutch jewellery from the 8th century to the presente day. A small selection from the collection can be seen from 16 March in the National Museum in Amsterdam.

PhD defence: Wednesday 17 March
Marjan Unger-de Boer, Sieraad in context
Faculty: Humanities
Supervisors: Professor T.M. Eliëns and Professor C.W. Fock

(9 March 2010/SH)