American Art Sectional Brooch 1970 Albert Paley, American, born 1944 Sterling silver, gold, ivory, pearls, labradorite Currently not on view 1995-81-1 Gift of the Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1995 |
LabelBest known as the foremost American maker of wrought iron, which he uses primarily for architectural elements and large-scale furniture, Albert Paley began his career as a goldsmith and jeweler. He was trained at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where he rebelled against the austere simplicity championed by the generation of Olaf Skoogfors. Taking inspiration from the sinuous lines of Art Nouveau, which was then coming back into fashion, Paley created jewelry with sculptural, if not monumental, qualities. In this brooch, the clasp mechanism is integrated into the overall design, a signature of Paley's work. |
