Presenting an exquisite selection of jewellery and body adornment from antiquity to the present day, Jewellery and Body Adornment from the NGV Collection reflects a wide variety of making traditions and practices across different material, cultural and geographical contexts. Defined by a relationship with the body, jewellery and body adornment are among the world’s oldest known artforms.

Ranging from the ceremonial and talismanic, to the decorative and conceptual, the exhibition features work composed of dazzling, highly prized materials, such as precious gems, metals, and iridescent seashells, as well as unexpected materials, such as hair, plastic, and rubber, which challenge conventional thinking of what constitutes jewellery and its significance.

All the works in the display have been drawn exclusively from the NGV Collection across multiple collecting areas, including Indigenous Art, Antiquities, Decorative Art, Australian Art, Asian Art, Fashion and Textiles, and Contemporary Design. Presented across four themes – Identity and Place, Status and Aspiration, Ceremony and Ritual, and Values and Sentiment – the pieces in this display provide insight into body adornment as a shared global practice.