Exquisite Aesthetics: An Interview with Barbara Levy Kipper
The exhibition ‘Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry and Ritual Objects from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection’, on view at the Art Institute of Chicago from 19 June to 21 August this year, showcased the extensive collection of jewellery as well as ritual objects from the Himalayas and other Asian regions to be gifted to the museum by Barbara Levy Kipper. Together with her late husband David, Barbara travelled widely in these areas and found herself increasingly attracted to the jewellery of the peoples she encountered. As she developed the collection, she used her skill as a professional photographer to document these diverse and disappearing cultures, taking pictures of people wearing or using objects similar to those she had collected. Orientations talked to Barbara about how she came to develop the collection.
Orientations Barbara, what motivated you to start the collection?
Barbara Levy Kipper In 1956, my parents took me to Europe and then, in 1965, to Africa ... These two trips engendered my lifelong passion for travel. A 1968 overland Land Rover trip from London, where I was living, across Iran to Afghanistan ignited my imagination about other cultures and religions. This trip exposed me to the incredible mosques and minarets sheathed in turquoise- and lapis-coloured tiles. Turquoise, both the colour and the stone, have always attracted me, and large segments of the collection contain turquoise or turquoise enamel. When I wear multiples of my many turquoise necklaces I feel a sense of safety that I never feel with any other jewellery. Only as I began to collect did I learn about the magical and healing properties of the stone.
O So the jewellery was not worn merely as ornamentation?
BLK Correct. Much of it contains symbols or amulets that provide protection from terrifying spirits. The world was a dangerous place and these pieces gave a sense of courage. I find jewellery far more potent if it protects one from a demon than being just good design or containing a high-carat stone. Jewellery among the cultures of South and Central Asia, the Miao of southwest China and so on was one’s dowry. It also indicated status, rank and tribal identity. The exquisite craftsmanship and artistry used to embellish everyday objects speaks to an aesthetic sense that prevailed even in the most desolate deserts and mountains.
Barbara Levy Kipper
O Were you inspired by any particular culture over others?
BLK James Michener’s Caravans had come out in 1963 and Joseph Kessel’s The Horsemen in 1968, both about Afghanistan. These aren’t exactly scholarly literature, but they did capture my imagination in terms of the peoples I was encountering. Fiction has that ability! Every piece in my collection has a story before it came to me that, sadly, I will never know. But what I always found compelling was imagining the individual within their cultural context—adorned! More serious reading and research came later, and I’ve loved that opportunity to create new intersections of history, memory, culture and imagination. The bazaars of the regions in which I’ve travelled have been filled with tantalizing remnants of cultures now for the most part in transition or marginalized.
O Did you acquire pieces for the collection as you travelled?
BLK Rarely. In fact it was Lynn Levenberg, whom I had known since junior high school, who suggested I build a collection of ethnic jewellery. Over a period of 26 years, she located, selected and researched the pieces I acquired. These came from dealers and other sources. Through her efforts, we built a collection that I feel is truly magnificent.
O On what basis were the pieces selected for the collection?
BLK I chose them because they appealed to me both viscerally and visually. They radiated a very special energy. Pieces need to ‘speak’ to me—they must resonate emotionally. Only later do I study the technical aspects of their iconography and craftsmanship. There is a great deal of material from the Buddhist Himalayan regions. The organizing principle is that turquoise was the primary stone of choice and, therefore, most attractive to me.
Woman’s amulet case (jantar) depicting a Buddhist deity
Nepal, Kathmandu valley, early 19th century
Gold inlaid with turquoise, coral, pearls, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, 6.8 x 6.1 x 1.5 cm
Art Institute of Chicago
Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper
Pencase
Uzbekistan, Bukhara, 1912 (inscribed A.H. 1330 and 1912)
Gilt silver with cloisonné enamel, 9.7 x 24.5 x 21.3 cm
Art Institute of Chicago
Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper
O Did your work as a photographer influence you in developing the collection?
BLK Definitely—and vice versa. Jewellery and ritual objects in their natural environments consistently attract my attention and focus. I would return from a trip and want a greater depth of material from that region. This was especially true of the amazing silver necklaces and headdresses from the Miao minority peoples of China.
O Do you feel that preserving these pieces will help to preserve intangible cultural heritage that is dying out?
BLK In light of all of the physical destruction throughout the world caused by wars, natural disasters and ongoing cultural disintegration, jewellery and ritual objects are ceasing to be valued. It gives me pleasure to know that the Miao minority peoples in China and Buddhist communities in Ladakh—both of them living cultures—do still value their magnificent jewellery and ritual objects, which are so central to their daily and religious lives as well as to their identities. My hope is that, by their receiving the attention and respect of a major museum exhibition and catalogue, greater interest and pride will be kindled among ethnic peoples in these remarkable objects connected to their own cultures and histories. One story from the exhibition emphasizes this possibility. A friend reported watching a Tibetan couple animatedly describing a piece on display to their teenaged daughter, who was riveted. I take pleasure in knowing that a meaningful portion of my collection is safeguarded at the Art Institute of Chicago for new generations and will be on view as part of a regular rotation of my objects.
O Do you think that such pieces lose their meaning when taken out of context, as in a museum display?
BLK An important aspect of the exhibition and the catalogue, to me, is that everything was, in fact, presented within cultural contexts through essays, photography, videos, lectures and music. These are not just stunning objects devoid of their cultures! In terms of the ritual objects, I believe that objects that have been prayed to over centuries maintain a very special spiritual energy. This potency has the power to affect people, and hopefully will continue to do so within a museum setting. Part of that power is to excite the imagination and curiosity. Design and art students might be inspired to incorporate elements in their work, and while doing that, be inspired to understand the historic derivation of the iconography. The exquisite aesthetics have the power to move our spirits. Some of the stunning pieces in the exhibition speak to an aesthetic that would not be out of place in a contemporary jewellery designer’s studio. There is an element that connects us through the centuries and through various cultures. The Mongolian headdresses inspired designs for Queen Amidala in Star Wars. What is old is new again and relevant!
Pair of woman’s ear studs (togé)
Indonesia, southern Sulawesi or coastal Borneo, Bugis, early 20th century
Gold, each: 7.8 x 4.5 x 2 cm
Art Institute of Chicago
Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper
Woman’s crown (hfud tat nix) with birds and floral motifs
China, Guizhou province, Leishan county, Miao, early 20th century
Paktong, 53.3 x 29 x 29 cm
Art Institute of Chicago
Promised gift of Barbara and David Kipper
O So, such exhibitions are beneficial in many respects.
BLK Indeed. And if, through exhibitions such as ‘Vanishing Beauty’, we come to understand the objects as part of living cultures and not as mere objects, then maybe that respect can inspire people around the world to protect, preserve and celebrate these extraordinary emblems of cultural and social identity. Whether intangible culture can be preserved considering the forces of modern life has already been demonstrated as doubtful.
O What are your favourite pieces in the collection?
BLK There are so many magnificent pieces that I find it hard to choose. They are all a delight to the eye! Among my favourites are the Bukharan enamelwork and the turquoise-encrusted gaus [amulet cases] from Tibet.
O Are there any interesting anecdotes regarding any of the pieces?
BLK Among the most haunting pieces is a pair of exquisite enamelled and carnelian cuffs from Uzbekistan. One of the cuffs was slashed on the inside as it was crossing international borders. Whoever did it was searching for something of far more value to them than magnificent craftsmanship. I didn’t have it repaired because it tells a contemporary story of different social and cultural perspectives of value.
All images courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Installation for the exhibition ‘Vanishing Beauty’