Samuel Gassman
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 16, 2020, tiara with box, 5.5 x 8.66 x 6.5 inches
c1900 bullion ribbon, c1900 shell cameos, c1920 cotton flannel, cotton velvet, c1880 garnet, artificial pearl, c1880 horn tiara, c1920 kimono silk, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, archival foam core, archival resin and old socks
(Inv# 6850)
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Samuel Gassman, Jewel 16, 2020, tiara with box, 5.5 x 8.66 x 6.5 inches
c1900 bullion ribbon, c1900 shell cameos, c1920 cotton flannel, cotton velvet, c1880 garnet, artificial pearl, c1880 horn tiara, c1920 kimono silk, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, archival foam core, archival resin and old socks
(Inv# 6850)
Sold
Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 16, 2020, tiara with box, 5.5 x 8.66 x 6.5 inches
c1900 bullion ribbon, c1900 shell cameos, c1920 cotton flannel, cotton velvet, c1880 garnet, artificial pearl, c1880 horn tiara, c1920 kimono silk, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, archival foam core, archival resin and old socks
(Inv# 6850)
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Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 13, 2020, 6.4 x 2.95 x 2.75 inches
brooch with box, c1880 Victorian felt, c1880 silk damask, c1930 kimono silk, c1860 Vaux Hall glass brooch, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, archival foam, archival resin, c1840 porcelain miniature, silk embroidery floss
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Samuel Gassman, Jewel 13, 2020, 6.4 x 2.95 x 2.75 inches
brooch with box, c1880 Victorian felt, c1880 silk damask, c1930 kimono silk, c1860 Vaux Hall glass brooch, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, archival foam, archival resin, c1840 porcelain miniature, silk embroidery floss
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Samuel Gassman, Jewel 2, 2020, 9.25 x 9.84 x 1.97 inches
necklace with box, c.1890 rag velvet, c.1880 ecclesiastical bullion ribbon, c.1950 kimono silk, c.1850 witch ball glass, c.2010 bullet casing, c.1960 T-shirt, sea shell, mother of pearl,18 karat gold, silver, steel, porcelain gild Masterson, gem, monkey fist, artist canvas, archival foam core, archival resin
(Inv# 6853)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 4, 2020, 10.63 x 8.46 x 1.97 inches
necklace with box, c 1950 Bakelite potato, c1950 Danish silver, c1850 French jet, c1850 Haley’s comet brooch, c1800 memorial locket, Order of the Garter brooch, 1972 political button, c1850 Roman mosaic, c1900 silk velvet, c2010 underwear, silver, steel, brass, left sock, archival paper, archival foam core and archival resin
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Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 5, 2020, necklace with box, 10.8 x 7.1 x 1.97 inches
c 1890 Victorian felt, c1950 roller skate key, glass gems, bone, sterling silver, steel, c1920 kimono silk, shirt cotton, c1980 T-shirt and thermal plastic
(Inv# 6855)
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Samuel Gassman, Jewel 6, 2016, 3.8 x 9.25 x 1.8 inches
necklace with box, c1900 silk damask, handkerchief silk, cotton panties, artist canvas, archival paint, archival foam core, archival resin, fluorite, c2005 glass, c1950 Pepsi bottle cap and artificial pearls
(Inv# 6858)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 8, 2020, 16.5 x 13.4 x 1.97 inches
necklace with box, brushes, chalcedony, c1890 Chinese enamel, c1880 iron key, c1920 jade, rock crystal, sea objects, c1990 shirt cloth, Victorian silk, archival foam core and archival resin.
(Inv# 6857)
Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 9, 2020, 8.9 x 7.28 x 2.6 inches
necklace with box, c 1880 silk embroidery, c1900 bullion fringe, handkerchief silk, c1760 linen, c1870 bullion tassel, c1930 Japanese cotton, c1920 Italian domestic tile, !8 karat gold, silver, steel, c1870 earthenware pipe fragment, c 2000 pottery fragment, archival foam core and archival resin
(Inv# 6851)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 11, 2020, 9.45 x 8.5 x 4.5 inches
necklace with box, amber, c1880 button, c1900 Chinese silver, c1920 coque d’pearl, glass gems, c1900 kimono silk, sea glass, sterling silver, glass, wool, c1990 Day of the Dead figure, sea shell, steel key, 18 karat gold, archival foam core and archival resin
(Inv# 6852)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 11, 2020, 9.45 x 8.5 x 4.5 inches
necklace with box, amber, c1880 button, c1900 Chinese silver, c1920 coque d’pearl, glass gems, c1900 kimono silk, sea glass, sterling silver, glass, wool, c1990 Day of the Dead figure, sea shell, steel key, 18 karat gold, archival foam core and archival resin
(Inv# 6852)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 11, 2020, 9.45 x 8.5 x 4.5 inches
necklace with box, amber, c1880 button, c1900 Chinese silver, c1920 coque d’pearl, glass gems, c1900 kimono silk, sea glass, sterling silver, glass, wool, c1990 Day of the Dead figure, sea shell, steel key, 18 karat gold, archival foam core and archival resin
(Inv# 6852)
Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 10, 2020, 12.6 x 8.66 x 1.97 inches
necklace with box, c1930 cotton damask, c1920 silk pongee, c1900 watch chain parts, c1910 shell cameo, c1870 porcelain doll, 18 karat gold, brass, silver, steel, sterling silver and c 1920 Chinese “Speak No Evil”
(Inv# 6849)
Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 10, 2020, 12.6 x 8.66 x 1.97 inches
necklace with box, c1930 cotton damask, c1920 silk pongee, c1900 watch chain parts, c1910 shell cameo, c1870 porcelain doll, 18 karat gold, brass, silver, steel, sterling silver and c 1920 Chinese “Speak No Evil”
(Inv# 6849)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 12, 2020, 9 x 8.3 x 2.17 inches
necklace with box, c1760 ecclesiastical silk, cotton, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, nickel silver, gilded copper, gold
stone glass, sea glass, glass gems, amber, green chalcedony, garnet, jasper, c1910 porcelain miniature and old socks
(Inv# 6847)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 12, 2020, 9 x 8.3 x 2.17 inches
necklace with box, c1760 ecclesiastical silk, cotton, 18 karat gold, sterling silver, steel, nickel silver, gilded copper, gold
stone glass, sea glass, glass gems, amber, green chalcedony, garnet, jasper, c1910 porcelain miniature and old socks
(Inv# 6847)
Samuel Gassman, Jewel 14, 2020, 7.7 x 3.5 x 2.17 inches
pendant with box, T shirt cotton, c1880 cotton velvet, handkerchief silk, sterling silver, gold, c1850 scenic enamel, c1900 Chinese enamel and celluloid
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Samuel Gassman The Dowery Of The Faerie Queen installation view, 2021
With this exhibition Ornamentum introduces the work of Samuel Gassman, an outsider-artist of the contemporary jewelry scene, presented for the first time at Ornamentum. Fascinating compositions of fabric, metal and collected historical ephemera housed in hand-made boxes that are as intrinsic to the works as the buttons, figurines, textiles and other curiousities that comprise the jewelry pieces housed within. Referred to as Rag Jewels by Gassman, each wearable (and its box), demonstrates a painstakingly-obsessive personality creating collages that speak to Victorian-fancy and flea-market-rummaging simultaneously. We struggle to know exactly where Gassman’s work fits in the grand scheme of contemporary jewelry movements, and find that this makes it all the more intriguing.
A multi-facetted persona/ artist, Gassman's background includes gemology, language studies, antiques and most evident in his work, a lifetime love of sewing. His artworks can be found in collections such as the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY; the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France; the Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Germany; the Museo Arte Contemporano (MAC), Santiago, Chile. He also created an International Human Rights Flag that has been on display at the United States Embassy in London, England since 2012.
artwork photos: Leopold Masterson