{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O377253"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O377253/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT7553/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT7553/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AT7553","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O377253","accessionNumber":"CIRC.411-1966","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Naum Slutzky was a highly talented designer across many fields, and the stark, severe jewellery he made during the 1920s and 1930s is interesting for its exploration of how Bauhaus principles could successfully be applied to jewellery. \r\n\r\nSlutzky was born in Kyiv (Kiev) in 1894, the son of a goldsmith. In 1905, the year of the Kiev pogrom, the family emigrated to Vienna. There he undertook an apprenticeship in goldsmithing and in 1912 joined the goldsmiths’ department at the Wiener Werkstätte. He studied at Johannes Itten’s private art school, and in 1919 followed Itten to Weimar to the newly-established Bauhaus, where he became the first craft master of the metal workshop, staying until 1923. \r\n\r\nHis years as a free-lance designer in Hamburg, 1927-33, were his most productive as a jeweller, encouraged by the support of the Hamburg Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, which acquired his work and gave him an exhibition in 1929. His jewellery from this period was varied: some in gold with cabochon stones; other pieces in base metal, primarily chromium-plated brass with little or no added colour. All of it adheres to Bauhaus principles of simplicity and lack of ornament, and show a commitment to industrial processes and 'unit construction', where something is built up from multiple identical components. The prevalence of base metal in his work at this date may be attributed to the depressed state of the German economy, but whether working in gold or brass Slutzky found it difficult to make a living and between periods of employment he suffered spells of desperate poverty. \r\n\r\nIn 1933 with Hitler installed in power, Slutzky left Hamburg for England. There followed three decades of teaching, notably at the Royal College of Art where he was senior lecturer in Product Design, and at Birmingham’s School of Arts and Crafts where he was Head of Industrial Design. Apart from a brief spell in the late 1940s as tutor in jewellery design at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts, he appeared to forsake jewellery completely until 1961 when he made new work to accompany pieces from around 1930 which were included in the 'International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery’ at Goldsmiths' Hall in 1961. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Silver ring with abstract bezel","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Naum Slutzky","id":"A7459"},"association":{"text":"designed and made by","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AT7553"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"042","id":"THES410234"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1960-1965","earliest":"1960-01-01","latest":"1965-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased for £30 from the widow of the artist.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver ring, designed and made by Naum Slutzky, England, 1960-65","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.411-1966"],"accessionNumberNum":"411","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1966,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-21","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}