Necklace

Designer Elsa Peretti Italian

Not on view

With few exceptions, Elsa Peretti's jewelry is inspired by nature or the gesture of the human hand, whether as spontaneous calligraphy or the pressure of the thumb in clay. The sensual lines of bones, shells, a kidney bean, or the drape of metal mesh may be seen in her work. In this instance, the articulated form of a snake is rendered in sterling silver. The snake's jaw adjusts to clamp down on itself at any point of the wearer's choosing, leaving the tip of the tail to hang like a pendant.

Necklace, Elsa Peretti (Italian, Florence 1940–2021 Sant Martí Vell, Catalonia, Spain), Sterling silver, enamel, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.