Jean Mahie (French, est. 1969), Necklace with Pendant, circa 1972, gold

Audio Description

This necklace with pendant was designed and made by Jean Mahie around 1972. Jean Mahie is a French jewelry manufacturer established in 1969.

Oval links make up the necklace of this piece. A large round pendant has a textured rim and a surface embellished with various figures, animals, and shapes, some of which are erotic in nature. The piece is made of polished yellow gold.

Label Copy

This necklace with pendant was designed and made by Jean Mahie around 1972. Jean Mahie is a French jewelry manufacturer established in 1969.

An artist, Jacline Nataf, joined her father-in-law Jean Marie Mazard making jewelry, founding the firm Jean Mahie in 1969. Although Jean Marie died in 1994, Nataf continues the tradition of smithing the firm’s one-of-a-kind jewelry by hand with hammer and torch. Nothing is cast. Those who bought Mahie pieces in the 1970s viewed them as works of art. Relatively inexpensive—ranging between $100 and $2000 each—socialites wore them with their simply-styled designer dresses.

The Mahie jewelry of the 1970s was influenced by ancient civilizations—Etruscan, Mayan, Hittite, Egyptian—and had a primitive character. The warmth of the 22-carat gold against the skin adds to this aura. The hefty chains—each link made by hand—have a tactile quality, making such necklaces equally appealing to men and women alike. Pendants like this depict whimsical human figures and fantastical creatures that often display an element of eroticism.

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