Art Smith Sterling Silver Earrings
View Similar Items
Art Smith Sterling Silver Earrings
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Weight:13.1 g
- Dimensions:Length: 1.25 in (31.75 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:c. 1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Winnetka, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: J130802342111
Art Smith
Fusing eclectic influences such as Surrealism and African art, Art Smith was a leading mid-century modernist jeweler and one of the few African American designers to break into the field. His oversize geometric pieces with their innovative use of wire, silver forms, brass, aluminum, stone and glass elements were boldly sculptural yet lightweight, becoming popular in the 1940s and ’50s as expressive statements of adornment.
Born in Cuba to Jamaican parents, Smith moved as a child to Brooklyn, New York, in 1920. After showing an early aptitude for art, he earned a scholarship to study at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan. He was especially inspired by the pioneering African American jeweler Winifred Mason, who hired Smith to work at her studio. There he witnessed how she engaged with West Indian folk art through bronze and copper.
After graduating, Smith opened his first shop in 1946 on Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village. Facing discrimination in the predominantly Italian area, he relocated to West Fourth Street where he would work until 1979. Smith developed relationships with stores like Bloomingdale’s as well as New York City’s vibrant Black cultural scene, from which his clients included Lena Horne and Duke Ellington. He also designed work for avant-garde Black dance companies such as those led by choreographers Talley Beatty and Pearl Primus and a brooch for Eleanor Roosevelt.
“The body is a component in design just as air and space are,” Smith once stated. Employing biomorphic shapes, he created works such as the Patina necklace that referenced Alexander Calder’s mobiles with its dangling silver cutouts as well as the Lava bracelet involving two layers of metal that undulate around the wrist.
Smith often used unconventional materials for fine jewelry that made it affordable to people beyond the elite, and he was a vocal advocate for Black and gay civil rights. In 2008, the Brooklyn Museum opened a retrospective of his work. His jewelry is included in the collections of major museums such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Find a collection of Art Smith jewelry on 1stDibs.
- 1950s Art Smith American Modernist Patinated Brass Kinetic Screw Back EarringsBy Art SmithLocated in Palm Springs, CA1950s dangling kinetic leaf earrings created by Art Smith of New York City, New York. Earrings measure 3" in length and are of the screw back variety. Signed art Smith on the back of one earring, Art Smith. In very good vintage 1950s condition. Born in Cuba in 1917, the Smith family moved to Brooklyn, NY shortly afterward and settled in Brooklyn, NY. Arthur showed his artistic talent from a young age, and participated in various art contests. He received a scholarship to Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. After graduating in 1940, he attended jewelry making classes at New York University. Knowledge of the jewelry business and the friendship with Winifred Mason...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
MaterialsBrass
- Art Smith Modernist Mobile EarringsBy Art SmithLocated in New York, NYArt Smith Modernist Mobile Earrings in brass from the 1950's. Athough unsigned, this is a well recognized design of his (see Brooklyn Museum Collection) and the metal earring fixtures are correct as well. Designed as Art for your face, these mini moving sculptures...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
MaterialsBrass
- Antique, Gold Coral Stud Earrings, in Faceted Drop-CutLocated in Berlin, DEAntique Gold Coral stud earrings, in faceted drop-cut.Category
20th Century Stud Earrings
MaterialsCoral, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
$2,416 Sale Price21% Off - Vivid Diamonds GIA Certified 7.01 Carat Diamond Solitaire Stud EarringsBy Vivid DiamondsLocated in Miami, FLStunning Vivid Diamonds solitaire stud earrings crafted in 18 karat white gold, showcasing 2 spectacular GIA Certified round brilliant cut diamonds weighing 7.01 carats total, J col...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Stud Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- Vivid Diamonds GIA Certified Diamond Dangle EarringBy Vivid DiamondsLocated in Miami, FLSensational Vivid Diamonds diamond dangle earrings, finely crafted by hand in platinum, showcasing a spectacular collection of GIA certified pear shape diamonds and marquise cut diam...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- 23.92 Carat Colombian Emerald & Diamond Dangle EarringsBy Vivid DiamondsLocated in Miami, FLExquisite diamond and emerald dangle earrings finely crafted in platinum, showcasing 14 emerald cut emeralds weighing approximately 23.92 carats total and 20 certified round brillian...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Dangle Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, Platinum