The exhibition is organized by the Museum for African Art, New York and will feature approximately 80 previously unexhibited pieces of North African jewelry and 27 late 19th- and early 20th-century photographs. Collected over three decades by Xavier Guerrand-Hermès, this work illuminates the diversity and beauty of traditional North African design. Crafted from silver, coral, amber and other semi-precious stones, the jewelry includes wedding necklaces, hair ornaments and fibula. Moroccan, Algerian and Egyptian jewelry show common threads of the Berber culture as well as local variations in materials and motifs. In addition to the exquisite pieces of jewelry, Desert Jewels features the work of some of the most prominent European photographers of the era. Theses include Scotsman George Washington Wilson, the Neurdine brothers from France and Turkish photographer Pascal Sabah, all of whom visited North Africa to capture the magnificent landscapes and "exotic" people on film.
Desert Jewels is presented as part of SCAD Style, the Savannah College of Art and Design's annual style and design series. SCAD Style events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Visit SCAD Style for a full list of events or for more information on exhibitions, visit SCAD Exhibitions.
