Bonne Bouche by Jane Howarth

Meet Jane Howarth. She takes the "dirty animals" (species that are often overlooked, discarded, unvalued) and costume jewelry and creates strange creatures that are deemed museum worthy. There is this great dichotomy going on here of beauty and ugliness, desire and repulsion, tenderness and the face of death. I think these are some important and gorgeous works to see! The birds are part of her Bonne Bouche collection of '1930's Sea Birds', who have feasted on a picnic of leather gloves, pearl necklaces and other delightful items left abandoned on the sand.

I have a curious mind that searches into, and appreciates, the corners of life and death that others may find ugly and grotesque. I enjoy exploring a world that challenges our perceptions of beauty and verges on the macabre.
My work is, among other things, an attempt to transform dead animals into strangely beautiful museum pieces. I have become a cosmetic taxidermist, playing with both seduction and repulsion.

The Beauty of Death: Catacomb Saints Photographed by Paul Koudounaris

In 1578 word spread of the discovery in Rome of a network of underground tombs containing the remains of thousands of early Christian martyrs. Many skeletons of these supposed saints were soon removed from their resting place and sent to Catholic churches in Europe to replace holy relics that were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. Once in place the skeletons were then carefully reassembled and enshrined in costumes, wigs, jewels, crowns, gold lace, and armor as a physical reminder of the heavenly treasures that awaited in the afterlife.

Over the past few years photographer Paul Koudounaris who specializes in the photography of skeletal reliquaries, mummies and other aspects of death, managed to gain unprecendented access to various religious institutions to photograph many of these beautifully macabre shrines for the first time in history. The photos have been collected into a book titled Heavenly Bodies released by Thames & Hudson early next month.

Gold for Iron: Patriotic Jewelry in 19th century

Berlin iron jewelry first became popular as a patriotic symbol in years 1813-1815, when the Prussian royal family urged all citizens to contribute their gold and silver jewellery towards funding the uprising against Napoleon during the War of Liberation. In return the people were given iron jewellery such as brooches and finger rings, often with the inscription Gold gab ich für Eisen (I gave gold for iron), or Far das Wahl des Vaterlands (For the welfare of our country/motherland), or with a portrait of Frederick William III of Prussia on the back. Jewelry in the early decades of the 19th century were made in Neoclassical or Georgian style (cameos, foliage, motifs from Greek or Roman mythology). In ensuing decades, iron jewelry was often used for mourning jewelry, and changed stylistically to reflect the current Gothic Revival tastes (pointy arches, trefoils, quatrefoils).

Berlin iron jewelry's vogue began to diminish by the mid-19th century, though the Franco-Prussian war sparked a brief revival in the 1870s.

The worth of iron jewelry has been increasing throughout the time, and it still continues to escalate as there will not be more of this historic jewelry. Today, these are collector's items and true pieces are usually found in museums or private collections. Replicas are widely manufactured today and is easy to obtain especially over the internet.