Bracelets: A Beautiful Legacy

No other piece of jewelry is as culturally significant to the Pacific Northwest coastal communities as the bracelet. Bracelet cuffs are a medium on which well-known mythic narratives can be re-told in a continuous visual loop, where iconic characters tangle sinuously and familiar faces pop up in surprising ways. Their circular forms reach back to embrace ancient visual and oral traditions, while simultaneously stretching forward to usher them proudly into the future. Their flat shapes provide the ideal surface for engraving crests, patterns, floral designs and figures. This bracelet tradition has continued and flourished in the hands of today’s superb metal smiths. We have invited a select group of jewelers to each create a unique bracelet that pays tribute to this beautiful custom and represents their singular place in the Northwest Coast art world.

Exhibition Dates: