The Universal Language of Ornamentation

Artist list

Tamara Grüner

Ornamental designs count among the earliest signs of human cultural activity. Starting from simple carvings in various archaeological finds via intertwining lines to Baroque opulence, ornaments can also be found galore in jewellery. They are a phenomenon that spans the entire world and the most different cultures and, in spite of all its diversity, reveals similar patterns.
 
This exhibition will show the wide variety of ornamental forms of expression in jewellery from the occidental European region to the wealth of variants in the Orient. It will also explore the common denominators of ornamentation which can be found in all cultures and epochs and combine to form the universal language of ornamentation. The exhibition is the Jewellery Museum’s contribution to the ›Mix versteh’n‹ (›Understanding Mix‹) intercultural festival organized by the city of Pforzheim’s office for cultural affairs.