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Thierry Vendome finds beauty in asymmetry, rusty metal, and imperfect gemstones. Imaginatively combining precious and rare materials with refuse or found objects, the artist creates a striking contrast. For this pendant, the artist described that he came upon the remains of an embattled tank on the beach in Normandy, France. The metal had many battlefield deformations and folds that the artist saw as an ideal backdrop for droplets of rain in the form of cabochon moonstones—hence the title Pluie, French for rain. The wearer can appreciate the beauty of the Vendome designs, but through its materials the pendant is also a poignant reminder of the bloodshed that occurred on D-Day—June 6, 1944—when Allied troops landed on the rainy Normandy beaches, leading to the liberation of France and the beginning of the end of World War II.
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Pluie ("Rain") pendant
Thierry Vendome (French, born 1964)
French
about 2000
Medium/Technique
Gold, iron, moonstone
Dimensions
Height x width x depth: 25 x 4 x 3 cm (9 13/16 x 1 9/16 x 1 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Catherine Kessedjian
Accession Number2011.2231
CollectionsEurope, Jewelry, Contemporary Art
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Necklaces and neck bands
Thierry Vendome finds beauty in asymmetry, rusty metal, and imperfect gemstones. Imaginatively combining precious and rare materials with refuse or found objects, the artist creates a striking contrast. For this pendant, the artist described that he came upon the remains of an embattled tank on the beach in Normandy, France. The metal had many battlefield deformations and folds that the artist saw as an ideal backdrop for droplets of rain in the form of cabochon moonstones—hence the title Pluie, French for rain. The wearer can appreciate the beauty of the Vendome designs, but through its materials the pendant is also a poignant reminder of the bloodshed that occurred on D-Day—June 6, 1944—when Allied troops landed on the rainy Normandy beaches, leading to the liberation of France and the beginning of the end of World War II.
DescriptionThe pendant, on a gold wire torque, is made up of four iron fragments taken from a Sherman tank abandoned on Normandy Beach, France during WW2. The fragments are joined by strips of white gold and jump rings. A series of cascading, cabochon moonstones on the surface give the impression of raindrops.
Marks
Impressed T.VENDOME and diamond-shaped maker's mark on reverse of first fragment
Provenance2009, sold by the artist to Catherine Kessedjian, Paris; 2011, year-end gift of Kessedjian to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 25, 2012)