Niki de Saint Phalle first introduced the curvaceous, colorful, exuberant Nana in the mid-1960s as a celebration of female empowerment and motherhood. The name comes from a French slang-term for a young woman. More than fifty years later, in 2021, The New York Times described “These large, faceless figures, with spherical breasts and broad hips and hot-colored patterning, may now look like benign ’60s artifacts. But for Saint Phalle the Nanas were fierce things, threatening the patriarchy.” She created Nana in a variety of media and scales, most often large sculptures, some as tall as fifty feet. This miniature Nana, whether worn as a brooch or suspended from a necklace, is an enduring feminist symbol that can travel with you.

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