Amanda Kaiserman: Tribal Treasures

The Gods Must Be Crazy!  As unlikely as it sounds, this 1980's film about bushman trying to rid themselves of a Coca-Cola bottle is the inspiration for this wonderfully fanciful collection of jewelry.  A cool blend of tribal motifs and 18th century-inspired watch components, it's a fun incarnation of the the tribal/gypsy/boho trend.

About Amanda Kaiserman

(from the website)

The jewelry collections entitled,“Tribu Urbaine” and “Metropolis” share much in common with the film, “The Gods Must be Crazy,” in which an ordinary coke bottle falls from the sky and the unfamiliar object is considered by an uninitiated tribe of African bush-men to be a talisman from the gods. Designed by Amanda Kaiserman, this collection evolved from the notion of finding poetry in everyday objects. By assigning new meaning to these objects, associating them in new and unique ways, creating patterns where they did not formerly exist, the identities of these elements are enhanced and transformed into provocative and inspirational wearable pieces.

In warm tones of brass and leather, each piece is comprised of found objects, old and new, such as common hardware, feathers and antique finds, selected for their own intrinsic beauty; their true function cast aside. They are then reassembled so that the objects in each ensemble take on new identities, re-imagined amidst a context for which they were not originally intended. Incorporating industrial elements in such a way as to evoke tribal jewelry, these eclectic assemblages reflect our primordial desire to be magically and ritualistically transported from our industrialized world to some higher plain, resonating with the feeling that, despite technological advancements, we remain, in many ways, unchanged from our ancient predecessors.

Amanda loves to work with brass. Brass, is a beautiful material that should be considered the equivalent of a semi-precious stone: as commodities prices rise, so does the price of brass. It has a lovely warm golden tone, quite similar to that of gold, yet it has a more gutsy industrial feel, and while gold prices make it impossible to make the kind of massive jewelry that Amanda creates, brass lends itself perfectly.

Each piece in this collection is hand crafted, one by one, and therefore,  slight variations in  each object only enhance the unique identity of each piece. We consider that the traces of the human hand, slight imperfections and irregularities, are an intrinsic part of the beauty of each piece. Brass pieces are finished with a non-toxic varnish to minimize patina.

Some pieces may only be available in limited edition and custom order, or may only exist as one of a kind. They may also be available in silver or other metal finishes for custom and wholesale orders. For custom orders, wholesale or pieces not currently for sale in the shop, please contact us for availability and prices.