Image

A necklace made of small, shiny beads featuring thin, dangling black figures on one side and wider, yellowish-gold figures on the other. Connecting them is a web of teal beads.

Joyce J. Scott

Family
Now On View

Description

Maker

Joyce J. Scott (American, b. 1948)

Title

Family

Year

2009

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

33 x 22.9 cm (13 x 9 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund

Object Number

2019.37

Type

Projects & Publications

Articles

Jewelry from the Decorative Arts and Design Collection

The American and European jewelry collection at the RISD Museum, part of the Decorative Arts and Design Department, is made up of more than 800 works, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings from the medieval period to present day.

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Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Art and Design from 1900 to Now
Jun 04, 2022 – Sep 01, 2026

Label copy

The title of this work conjures up many meanings, from the families we’re born into to those we choose. Joyce J. Scott uses swirling blue glass beads to represent water, linking together a family with different skin tones as both sides meet in the center. To make this necklace, Scott employed the peyote stitch- also known as gourd stitch-a method of weaving beads that has had a pervasive global presence, especially among Native North Americans. Scott’s process explores jewelry beyond its function as adornment, examining topics such as racism, sexism, and stories from her African American heritage in each piece of wearable art.

- Emily Banas, Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and Design

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Image use

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This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Joyce J. Scott (American, b. 1948)
Family, 2009
Glass beads
33 x 22.9 cm (13 x 9 inches)
Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund 2019.37

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