- Title
- Necklace with Stylized Ancient Motif (Collar con motivo antiguo estilizado)
- Date Made
- circa 1980
- Medium
- Silver
- Dimensions
- 9 3/8 × 5 × 2 in. (23.81 × 12.7 × 5.08 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2014.201.9
- Collecting Area
- Latin American Art
- Curatorial Notes
The art of ancient Peru was an endless source of inspiration for Graziella Laffi. The open ring at the top of the central form of this necklace recalls the narigueras (nose rings) worn in ancient Andean times (see M.2007.146.276). The necklace is also reminiscent of the shape and pincers of a crab, a possible connection to the natural world. The tapered beads continue Laffi’s sleek design around the neck.
Born in Florence, Italy, Laffi immigrated to Lima with her family in 1947, following the upheaval of World War II. She traveled extensively throughout her new homeland, developing a deep appreciation for the country’s ancient art. Laffi began working with silver, a material widely used in ancient times, adapting some of the techniques of earlier silversmiths. Her jewelry and hollowware designs combine Andean imagery with a modern visual vocabulary, and form part of a larger agenda in Peru to redefine the country’s culture and promote local traditions and themes.
Rachel Kaplan
2025