This week, The Jewish Museum unveils a dynamic commission of Judaica by artist Rachel Feinstein in collaboration with fine jewelry brand IPPOLITA. Evoking the rich, multi-faceted history of medieval Jewish marriage rings and the towering form of ceremonial spice vessels, Feinstein and Ippolita Rostagno, Founder and CEO of IPPOLITA, developed the uber-contemporary “Marriage Ring.” Nearly one foot tall, in radiant sterling silver and 18-karat gold, the whimsical piece will be on view later this year in the museum’s “Scenes from the Collection” exhibition. Four meticulous and one-of-a-kind iterations of the grand work will be available for purchase through the Jewish Museum Shop and the IPPOLITA Madison Avenue flagship store, in addition to online, with proceeds benefiting the museum.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
Feinstein’s inspired practice is rooted in religious symbolism and mythology, often juxtaposing the forms and figures of fantasy and reality for a modern and nuanced reading on the marriage of religion, art, and the human condition. In 2019, the Jewish Museum presented Feinstein’s first US solo museum exhibition, after which Claudia Gould, the museum’s Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director, invited the artist to create a special Judaica commission. For this endeavor, Feinstein drew upon the striking architecture of the emblematic “mazel tov ring.” Found as far back as the Middle Ages, the ring symbolizes the threshold of new marriage in a compelling structure that appears castle or temple-like in form.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
For the collaboration, Feinstein and Rostagno fused the intangible fairy-tale of love, marriage, and home with the ferocity of a grounded, feminist point of view—the gilded castle is set upon a gleaming four-fingered knuckle duster. The two visionaries bring the light and dark of romance to its timely surface, provoking a vibrant dialogue on the complex history of marriage as both a cherished and coveted institution and a weaponized, utopian myth. The divine adaptations of the major artwork are gorgeous, wearable sculptures: Talia’s Ring, a princess-like castle, stuns in 18-karat gold; Castle on the Rock is utterly unique in a gold, malachite, and chrysoprase design; and the Fan Castle Ring, a minimalist iteration, is offered in both 18-karat gold and sterling silver.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
Courtesy of artist Rachel Feinstein, the Jewish Museum, and IPPOLITA.
