PENDANT

Pendant (USA), ca. 1961
Designed by Art Smith (American, 1917–1982)
Silver, rose quartz
H x W x D: 5.2 x 2.1 x 1.4 cm (2 1/16 x 13/16 x 9/16 in.)
2014-16-2-f
Bequest of Merle Sternberg.

This pendant is part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts Department.

This silver neck ring and five interchangeable pendants were also a commissioned work for Merle Sternberg, who later gifted the pendant and her Art Smith wedding ring to Cooper Hewitt. Sternberg found the quartz on a beach and Smith created and worked the silver and silver wire forms to incorporate the polished stones. Each object expresses a sentimental meaning in addition to the organic, free-form aesthetic that characterizes Smith's work.