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Lisa Sotilis (Greek, b. circa 1944), Necklace, Earrings, and Ring, circa 1970, gold

Lisa Sotilis (Greek, b. circa 1944), Necklace, Earrings, and Ring, circa 1970, gold

Audio Description

 

This is a gold necklace, earrings, and ring set made by Greek artist and jeweler Lisa Sotilis who was born around 1944. The set was made around 1970.

The breastplate-like necklace of this set is a round piece of gold that goes around the neck. The main part of the necklace is made up of beaten gold with lots of texture. The central portion resembles a face with eyes and a nose. The edges of the necklace are embellished with varying sizes of round, textured gold circles. The bottom has a row of round beaten gold circles, attached to squarish shapes that have a rounded concave shape in the center. The ring is beaten gold and does not meet at the center back. The earrings look like two eyes with dangling linear pieces of gold of varying lengths that are attached to gold balls.

Label Copy

 

This is a gold necklace, earrings, and ring set made by Greek artist and jeweler Lisa Sotilis who was born around 1944. The set was made around 1970.

Called the “Golden Greek”, Lisa Sotilis is a painter, sculptor, and a jeweler. She began making jewelry when she discovered she did not like what was offered in established shops. As a sculptor, she was no stranger to working with metal and, with a distinct idea of what she wanted, Sotilis began rolling pure 24 karat gold into thin sheets and beating it by hand. The result was breastplate-like necklaces, rings, and earrings with an alloyed backing for strength.

Viewing her jewelry as sculpture, she has been photographed wearing nothing but her massive pieces. Twining around her body, this jewelry betrays an ongoing interest in the architecture of the female body—a common subject matter of her paintings. In the early 1970s, Sotilis felt the less-embellished clothing of the period was the perfect background for her work. Each piece in warm yellow gold is sensuous and unique, taking weeks and sometimes months to create.

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