Brooch 1935 - 1942

John H. Tercuzzi made this watercolor, pen, and graphite drawing of a Brooch sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. I just love that each design is so unique. It's got this antique vibe but feels surprisingly fresh. The artist is thinking through ornament; how the gems and metals and dangles all get put together. What’s so great about Tercuzzi’s design is how they seem to be thinking about not just what jewelry looks like, but also how it functions, how it's made. I imagine the artist thinking, "How can I make something that’s both pretty and useful?" Maybe that’s what all artists think. It's like they're having a conversation with jewelers from the past, riffing on old ideas and coming up with new ones. And now, we get to join that conversation, too.