Adorn

In this exhibition series, the Peninsula Fine Arts Center examines how we as a community enhance our beauty or status. Whether it is through luxury handbags or high end fashion, adornment is used to embellish, enhance or distinguish the individual within the community. How we adorn ourselves is a personal expression of ourselves and helps us to artistically communicate who we are, who we want to be, where we are going, and where we have been

Judith Leiber (American, born in Budapest, Hungary in 1921), known for the creation of exquisitely designed couture women’s accessories which blur the boundaries between function and art, adorns minaudières and compact cases with semi-precious stones. Her creations also include day bags, belts and pillboxes. Beautifully detailed both inside and out, each tiny minaudière takes months to fabricate with special attention paid to the construction including the interior details and hardware. Considered one of the largest repositories of Judith Leiber bags in the United States, the Taubman Museum of Art embraces its diverse collection which is comprised of monkeys, dogs, cats, and babies, as well as several minaudières inspired by other countries as China and Russia.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website