{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O154497"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O154497/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2902/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2902/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BR2902","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Simon Costin","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BR2873","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Simon Costin","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O154497","accessionNumber":"M.61-1988","objectType":"Brooch","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Simon Costin, a taxidermist and artist, incorporated fish skin, animal skulls and even human fluids in his jewellery, enjoying `'the tension between people's reaction to the potential beauty of a piece and then their frequent revulsion at discovering that in fact the piece was \"real\"'. The fish head used in this brooch is real, its natural shimmering beauty enhanced with gold leaf and preserved beneath varnish. \r\n\r\nSimon Costin has degrees in film making, theatre design and history of art. He began making jewellery  when working on costume designs for a film about Caravaggio. He later became art director for Alexander McQueen's catwalk shows for Givenchy. He also collaborated with the fashion designers Roberto Cavalli and Antonio Berardi. \r\n\r\nIn the afterword of the publication 'Unclasped' he wrote: \"The last object that I made that could loosely be called 'jewellery' was a necklace comprising of a band of sprung steel overlaid with a large motor attached. Once on, it took ten minutes to constrict and crush the wearer. This was, I suppose my farewell to jewellery\".","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BR2902","2007BR2873"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"39","shelf":"A","box":"3"},{"current":{"text":"020","id":"THES412482"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"020","id":"THES412482"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Brooch","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}],[{"text":"Box","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Commissioned by the V&A","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Fish head brooch by Simon Costin, England 1988","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.61-1988","M.61B-1988","M.61A-1988"],"accessionNumberNum":"61","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1988,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Lid","Box","Brooch"],"assets":["2019LN2942","2019LN3942","2019LP7480","2019LP4602","2019LT5187","2019LU5532","2019LU0008","2019LW7038"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-25","recordCreationDate":"2008-05-13","availableToBook":false}}