Below is a celebration of extraordinary Power Women throughout time, a jewel or artifact that relates to her, and a modern interpretation of this narrative in jewelry.
ROSE VALLAND
Underestimated for her quiet “mousey” demeanor, Rose Valland (1898 - 1980) is a #PowerWoman for her courage and cleverness as a World War II art hero whose saved countless art treasures that we all enjoy today. She was one of the few “Monuments Women” among the 345 “Monuments Men” from various nations who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA). And she was an art spy!
For years, Rose risked her life in meticulously thwarting theNazi’s massive art looting scheme that passed through the @JeudePaumeParis. Through eavesdropping (she was secretly fluent in German) and memorizing the inventory of paintings, sculptures, furniture, jewelry, gemstones and beyond, she passed information to the French Resistance and was critical to James Rorimer's success in recovering looted treasures hidden in multiple repositories (castles to salt mines).
Following the war, she spent the rest of her life advocating for the restitution of artworks and objects to the rightful owners and received many honors including: the Legion of Honor, the Medal of the Résistance, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, and the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1948. In 1953 she received the long overdue and much-deserved title of “curator”.
Thank you to @RobertEdsel for writing the incredible book “Monuments Men”, and “introducing” us to this extraordinary woman!
LA POSTE STAMP HONORING ROSE VALLAND
In honor of Rose Valland, The French postal service, @LeGroupeLaPoste, recently released a lovely stamp of her superimposed “in her element” at the @JeudePaumeParis. For much of her life, she was denied the title of “curator”, in spite of her credentials and commitment to art because of her humble origin.
We owe so much gratitude to Rose for saving so many cultural treasures.
She is an inspiration reminding us to remain courageous and that we, as women, are more than capable of creating good in the world - even during very dark times.
ORNELLA IANNUZZI - FLEUR DE CRISTAL
Contrary to what many people believed about Rose Valland, she was NOT a wallflower. She was a brave, bold and brilliant art spy for the French resistance during World War II - and obviously a #PowerWoman!
Much like Rose’s unexpected qualities, @OrnellaIannuzzi’s work is focused on the character of stones, as well as on the details of their crystallization or inclusions. If there was ever a jewel meant to celebrate how awesome Rose Valland was, Ornella’s Fleur de Cristal black opal ring is it. Not only does it combine unexpected forces of nature (the mineral and the vegetal), but it is made of rose gold!
Cynisca or Kyneska
440 BC
First woman in history to win at the Ancient Olympic Games
Ancient High Status
Horse Buckles
@TheMorganLibrary
Horse Hair Jewels
@LorenNicoleJewelry
Ada Lovelace
1815 - 1852
First computer programmer
Painting by Margaret Sarah Carpenter
Analytical Engine
@ScienceMuseum (London)
@ComputerHistory (California)
Spark Cluster earrings
@DaouJewellery
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
1689 - 1762
Travel writer and
inoculation advocate
@NationalPortraitGallery
Imperial Ottoman aigrette @Sothebys
Sapphire Hair Pin
@JoThorneStudio
Mary Anning
1799 – 1847
Paleontologist, geologist, anatomist and scientific illustrator
@Natural_History_Museum
Ammonite Graveyard
at Lyme Regis in Dorset (England)
Trilobite Earrings
@FeralJewelry
Omphale
Mythical Queen of Lydia
(and her "boy toy" Hercules)
Ancient Omphale and Hercules intaglio and cameo
@MFABoston and @MetMuseum
Omphale and Hercules
intaglio pendants @LorenNicoleJewelry
and @LalaRagimov
Hypatia
Hellenistic astronomer, mathematician, philosopher and beyond (350 - 415 AD)
Drawing by Jules Maurice Gaspard
Astrolabe
A former Sotheby's auction item
Al-Andalus (Spain)
1020 AD
Sun Pendant
@MakovaJewelry
Suzanne Belperron
1900 - 1983
Jewelry Designer
Knight of the Légion d’Honneur
1963
"Corne" Earring Clips
@Belperron
Catherine the Great
Empress of Russia from 1762 - 1796
Painting by Fyodor Rokotov
Bow Diamond Necklace
commissioned between 1760 and 1780
@Sothebys
Bow Jewelry
@KristinHanson
Cleopatra
Queen of Egypt 69 - 30 BC
Painting by John William Waterhouse
Cleopatra coin
1st Century BC
@BritishMuseum
Artemis Medallion Pendant
@Dubini_Official
Sappho
Poetess and educator around 615 BC
Pompeii fresco 55-79 AD
@MuseoArcheologicoNapoli @UnescoWorldHeritage
Eros Earrings
4th Century BC
@DallasMuseumArt
Phoenix Ear Climbers
@DaouJewellery
Metrodora
Greek physician and first female medical book author
“Parturition Scene” from Ostia, Italy (400 BC - 300 AD) @ScienceMuseum in London
Gold Amulet
600BC
Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens
Forbidden Fruits Earrings
@OrnellaIannuzzi
Ancient Minoan Women
@MetMuseum
Gold Carved Signet Ring
1500 - 1200 BC
Diamond Pinky Signet Ring
@DinaKamalDK01
Dame Zaha Hadid
Architect, First Female Winner of the
Pritzker Architecture Prize (and many more)
"Tela" Shelving
Earrings Inspired by "Tela" Shelving
@DJoyaStoriesInJewels
Enheduanna
First Named Author in History
@pennmuseum
Lapis Lazuli & Gold Leaf Necklace
2600 BC
@BritishMuseum
Fair Trade Lapis Lazuli Earrings
@Aayenda.Jewelry
Amazon Women
Tribe of Women Warriors (not a myth!)
@MuseeLouvre
Sarmatian Brooch
100 BC
@TheMorganLibrary
The Uprising
@OrnellaIannuzzi
Empress Theodora
Basilica of San Vitale
Byzantine Brooch
@TheMorganLibrary
Fulco di Verdura Theodora Brooch
@VerduraJewelry
