Pouring Amphorae

bronze, sterling silver

4.5 in x .25 in

Water and Wine: a collection of jewelry inspired by vessels and what they hold for us.

I am drawn to both housewares and jewelry for many of the same reasons—the way they integrate into our daily lives, accrue memories and meaning, pass from person to person, shape our day-to-day, are shaped by the polishing effects of our touch, and serve as communicators of values, status, and identity.

When creating this body of work I looked to collections of artifacts for inspiration, noting the words and phrases that recur in the descriptions that accompany the images and reflect the ways in which vessels are central to human lives and culture. Ubiquitous in museum collections, these artifacts were practical objects of daily beauty used to transport, store, and serve staples like grain, oil, water, and wine. Others are less quotidian, used in religious rites and rituals, buried in tombs, or holding the remains of loved ones. They all teach us about the people who made and used them, just as the vessels that fill our homes now reflect our lives and our stories.

By recreating these forms in miniature, I aim to honor them, imbuing them with the inherent preciousness reserved for jewelry. They hold so much for us, now we can hold them close, wear them whenever we want to, carrying them around with us, and maybe carry a little something more inside.

Artist Bio:
Kate Dannenberg is a jeweler and metalsmith living in South Philadelphia. With thoughtful craftsmanship and attention to tactile experience she creates jewelry and objects informed by the visual qualities of the natural world.

Kate is interested in the way we connect and interact with precious and everyday objects—the way these interactions affect both the person and the object. Through her work as teaching artist and curator she strives to uplift the jewelry and craft communities through inclusion, education, and enthusiasm. Kate’s work is made by hand from recycled and responsibly sourced materials.