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Madeleine Albright's Snake In Branch Pin Brooch Earrings And Read My Pins Book

$8,500
£6,424.95
€7,383.41
CA$11,836.20
A$13,167.29
CHF 6,902.46
MX$160,901.01
NOK 87,894.16
SEK 82,740.19
DKK 55,114.32
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About the Item

Indulge in a piece of American History with Madeleine Albright's extraordinary Snake Serpent in a Branch Pin Brooch with the matching Earrings, along with a copy of her book "Read My Pins: Stories From A Diplomat's Jewel Box." We are honored to present the iconic snake pin and earrings from the personal collection of Secretary Madeleine Albright. We believe this is the only matching set of snake motif jewelry that Secretary Albright owned. Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State. As Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of State, Albright was often the only woman in the room during critical discussions with her diplomatic colleagues and counterparts, who were virtually all men. In such gatherings, Albright followed the advice she had given as a professor to her female students: “Do not be afraid to interrupt. A woman usually prefers to size up a situation before speaking, but for a diplomat representing the United States, silence was not an option.” During her trailblazing diplomatic career, Secretary Albright discovered the power of jewelry to convey foreign policy messages. As shared in her book Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box, she deployed pins within her “personal diplomatic arsenal” to express her hopes, mood, and often a pointed message. She utilized this unconventional and effective tool for diplomacy on America’s behalf. Albright said the pins served as “gentle implements of statecraft, teaching tools and a different form of communication.” She knew that the idea of using pins as a diplomatic tool was not found in any State Department manual or text chronicling American foreign policy. She explained that “the truth is that it would never have happened if not for Saddam Hussein.” The poet-in-residence of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein called Albright “an unparalleled serpent” when she was the Ambassador to the United Nations. Shortly thereafter, when preparing to meet with Iraqi officials, Albright decided to make a diplomatic statement by wearing a pin with a serpent wrapped around a stick. Although her method of communication was new, her message was as old as the American Revolution – Don’t Tread on Me! From that day on, pins became part of her diplomatic signature. Albright chose pins ahead of meetings with foreign dignitaries to signal her diplomatic position. Indeed, freedom and democracy had no greater champion than Secretary Madeleine K. Albright. Snake Serpent Pins are the most famous of Madeleine Albright's Pins and those with a snake in a branch are the most treasured of all of her pins as they represent the most meaningful of her jewels. As she says in her book on page 142: "The serpent, connected in my mind to Saddam Hussein, is often portrayed alongside a tree or, as on my pin, a branch. Together, the serpent and tree are considered symbols of life, fertility, and (because the snake sheds its skin) renewal and rebirth. The association has cultural and religious connotations dating all the way back to the Garden of Eden - the concept of which can be traced to Mesopotamia, or modern day Iraq." The stunning matching pin and earrings are made by the esteemed American maker Erwin Pearl. The pin depicts the snake curled around four branches of bamboo along with three faux pearls. The earrings depict the snakes curled around a central pearl which is meant to depict an egg or the world. This image is a powerful symbol of rebirth in cultures throughout the world. The snakes are decorated with gorgeous translucent green enamel and their eyes are set with emerald paste stones. Here is a singular opportunity to acquire objects of American history that Secretary Albright cherished throughout her life. The pin and earrings will be sent along with a copy of Secretary Albright's book Read My Pins. We have included a photo of the book with the pin and earrings placed on the book. They are not the cover image of the book. The pin and earrings are guaranteed to be from the personal collection of Madeleine Albright and were acquired from the sale of her collection. The Snake and Branch Pin is 2 inches (50mm) by 2 1/8 inches (54mm). The faux pearls are 10mm in diameter. The pin is signed c E. Pearl. The earrings are 1 1/8 inches (29mm) by 1 inch (25mm). The pearls are 12mm in diameter. The earrings are signed Erwin Pearl.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 2 in (50.8 mm)Width: 2.1 in (53.34 mm)
  • Style:
    Contemporary
  • Place of Origin:
    United States
  • Period:
    20th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    20th Century
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1476224905462

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