Jewellery: decorative objects worn on your clothes or body that are usually made from valuable metals, such as gold and silver, and precious stones.

Lisa Walker in her studio, 2017. Photograph by Kate Whitley. Te Papa

Probably most of us have an idea in our heads of what type of work we expect a "jeweller" to produce. We probably picture jewellery as small, finely crafted, decorative pieces made from precious metals (such as gold or silver), gemstones or other expensive and valuable materials.

The Te Papa exhibition I Want To Go To My Bedroom But I Can't Be Bothered charts Lisa Walker's 30 year exploration of what "jewellery" is or can be.

The necklace (pictured right) is made of plastic tape, tape reels and some kind of ribbon. It's not intricate nor particularly well crafted but, nonetheless, it is instantly recognisable as a necklace.

Lisa Walker's early work more closely resembles what we would expect traditional jewellery to look like - made of silver, finely crafted, small, easy-to-wear, decorative and intricate.

Lisa Walker, Folds, 1993, silver. Te Papa.

"It's ok that my work doesn't make obvious sense as jewellery" - Lisa Walker

Jewellery: decorative objects worn on your clothes or body that are usually made from valuable metals, such as gold and silver, and precious stones.

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Lisa Walker's jewellery challenges the narrow definition of jewellery (like the one above).


Instead of using precious metals or valuable gemstones, she often re-uses discarded objects and uses other non-precious materials like fabric, paper, plastic, glue and blobs of paint.

The necklace (pictured right) is made of plastic tape, tape reels and some kind of ribbon. It's not intricate nor particularly well crafted but, nonetheless, it is instantly recognisable as a necklace.

Lisa Walker, Necklace, 2006. Fabric, sticky tape, cardboard.

"It's ok that my work doesn't make obvious sense as jewellery" - Lisa Walker

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Early Jewellery

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Human beings have been adorning themselves with jewellery for thousands of years. Jewellery made from shells, stone and bones survives from prehistoric times. Perforated pea-sized snail shells used as beads dating back 75,000 years have been unearthed in a cave, named Blombos, on the coast of South Africa.

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Jewellery could be used to advertise the wearer's religion or beliefs.

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Beyond their use for self adornment jewellery often had cultural significance. It could indicate an individual's wealth, power and their standing in society. 

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It could be a talisman. A talisman is an object that someone believes holds magical properties that bring good luck to the possessor or protect the possessor from evil or harm.

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There are superstitions associated with many gemstones and gemstones were (and still are by some) accredited with healing powers.

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Jewellery from the tomb of Thutmose III's (1479 BC to 1425 BC) three foreign (Syrian) wives, Menhet, Menwi and Merti, found at Wady Gabbanat el-Qurud (Egypt).

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Wàseisei are necklaces made from slivers cut from Sperm Whale teeth. These necklaces were worn by Fijian chiefs and symbolized their chiefly rank.

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A modern day equivalent might be the amber teething necklaces that have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Despite the lack of hard scientific evidence to support the claim that children are calmer, cry less and generally experience less discomfort when wearing an amber bead necklace while teething, many infants in New Zealand can be seen wearing them. 

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Jewellery could be used to advertise the wearer's religion or beliefs.

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The Christian cross or crucifix is an enduring symbol on jewellery worn by Christians to represent their faith in Jesus Christ and, perhaps, help inspire the wearer to live a more faithful life.

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It could be a talisman. A talisman is an object that someone believes holds magical properties that bring good luck to the possessor or protect the possessor from evil or harm.

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There are superstitions associated with many gemstones and gemstones were (and still are by some) accredited with healing powers.

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Agate: At one time, this stone was believed to confer the power of invisibility on its owner and to turn enemies’ swords against themselves. The stone offered protection against the Evil Eye and storms, plus granted its wearer an eloquent tongue. Agate was said to cure fever and poisonous bites and stings, improve eyesight, promote fertility, and make its wearer lucky in love and athletic competitions.

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A modern day equivalent might be the amber teething necklaces that have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Despite the lack of hard scientific evidence to support the claim that children are calmer, cry less and generally experience less discomfort when wearing an amber bead necklace while teething, many infants in New Zealand can be seen wearing them. 

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Most necklaces made of pounamu in New Zealand are carved and polished. However, Lisa Walker has assembled sharp edged pieces that look like off-cuts from an industrial process for her necklace (pictured right). The necklace, like many of Lisa Walker's 'pendants', fastens with a similar cord and toggle system you might find on a traditional hei tiki, though uses modern materials. Maybe this is Lisa Walker's way of paying homage to her New Zealand roots whilst avoiding the cultural appropriation of Māori taonga?

Lisa Walker was based in Germany from 1995 to 2009 and perhaps she was feeling homesick for this part of the world when she made the necklace (pictured right) for a friend who was getting married as it has a very 'Pacific' feel to it despite being made with very modern materials like plastic and glue.

This piece is unusual for her in that it's "rare for her to make a piece with a person in mind and an event in mind."

Lisa Walker, Pendant , 2015. Pounamu shards, silver wire, thread. Purchased 2015. Te Papa.

"I need to make my work back in New Zealand again. I need to live there again." - Lisa Walker

Pounamu (jade) is a material that has a very 'kiwi' feel. However, jade has been used as a precious material historically by many different cultures particularly in what is now modern-day China, India, Korea and South-East Asia.

Kuru pounamu (ear pendant).

Our ancestors valued pounamu for its beauty and for its quality of holding fine hard edges. It’s still an important resource, sought after by craftspeople and lapidary artists as a precious gem for personal ornaments and sculptural works. 

Maori artisans fashioned pounamu into personal ornaments such as hei tiki (neck pendants), kuru and kapeu (ear pendants), mere pounamu (greenstone weapons), and toki (adzes).

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from Taonga Māori at Te Papa: Pounamu (Te Papa Website)

Meciwe (necklace), 1800s; New Caledonia, nephrite, sennit. Te Papa Oldman Collection. Gift of the New Zealand Government, 1992.

Lisa Walker was based in Germany from 1995 to 2009 and perhaps she was feeling homesick for this part of the world when she made the necklace (pictured right) for a friend who was getting married as it has a very 'Pacific' feel to it despite being made with very modern materials like plastic and glue.

This piece is unusual for her in that it's "rare for her to make a piece with a person in mind and an event in mind."

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Lisa Walker; 2009; Munich necklaces, studio jewellery fresh water pearls, plastic, glue. Te Papa.

Pounamu (jade) is a material that has a very 'kiwi' feel. However, jade has been used as a precious material historically by many different cultures particularly in what is now modern-day China, India, Korea and South-East Asia.

from Taonga Māori at Te Papa: Pounamu (Te Papa Website)

Meciwe (necklace), 1800s; New Caledonia, nephrite, sennit. Te Papa Oldman Collection. Gift of the New Zealand Government, 1992.

This meciwe (necklace of jade beads) was made by the Kanak people of New Caledonia. Just as the Māori used pounamu, so the Kanaks used their jade for utilitarian and ceremonial axe blades and personal adornments. In the early 19th century, jade necklaces were amongst the most highly valued of Kanak possessions and were the exclusive property of the wives of chiefs.

Does jewellery need to be made from expensive materials in order to be precious or valuable?

Lisa Walker is interested in how the act of wearing can change or transform things. She assembled the necklace "What Karl didn't take with him" (pictured left) from things left in the bottom of a drawer by her husband when they were preparing to move back to New Zealand. She often uses discarded objects or interesting materials not usually associated with jewellery-making in her work.

Throughout history, jewellery has been used to display the wealth and status of the wearer. Certainly many definitions of jewellery focus on this i.e. that valuable jewellery is made of precious materials.

Lisa Walker, What Karl didn't take with him, 2010. Metal, wood, paper, plastic, cork, rubber. Te Papa.

"I worked with some materials from the rubbish bin in my workshop" - Lisa Walker

Lisa Walker’s studio, 2017. Photograph by Kate Whitley. Te Papa.

In 2018, the mobile phone you own or laptop you carry around is likely to cost as much, or more, than any piece of jewellery you will buy in your lifetime. The old mobile phones used to make some of Lisa Walker's necklaces look dated now but were once valuable covetable objects. The latest model iPhone doesn't text or call people any better than any other 'smart' phone but it might signal to others your higher status or greater wealth (given that you can afford the latest model phone).

Lisa Walker is interested in how the act of wearing can change or transform things. She assembled the necklace "What Karl didn't take with him" (pictured left) from things left in the bottom of a drawer by her husband when they were preparing to move back to New Zealand. She often uses discarded objects or interesting materials not usually associated with jewellery-making in her work.

Throughout history, jewellery has been used to display the wealth and status of the wearer. Certainly many definitions of jewellery focus on this i.e. that valuable jewellery is made of precious materials.

In 2018, the mobile phone you own or laptop you carry around is likely to cost as much, or more, than any piece of jewellery you will buy in your lifetime. The old mobile phones used to make some of Lisa Walker's necklaces look dated now but were once valuable covetable objects. The latest model iPhone doesn't text or call people any better than any other 'smart' phone but it might signal to others your higher status or greater wealth (given that you can afford the latest model phone).

Lisa Walker, Necklace, 2009. Mobile phones, cord.

Jewellery need not be valuable in monetary terms to be precious to the owner. Jewellery can be 'valuable' for sentimental reasons i.e. your friend made it, it reminds you of a happy occasion or holiday or perhaps it just makes you happy to wear it.

Lisa Walker, Trip to Europe 1973 (pendant), 2010-2011. Paper, thread, metal. Te Papa.

Note the blobs of visible glue

Lisa Walker has talked about always being interested in the tension between oddness and beauty and "what her own interpretation of what something beautiful is".

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Her pendant made from a rubber inner sole (pictured right) is a good example of oddness vs beauty. The organic curvy shape is pleasing to the eye - almost a classic pendant shape pulled slightly askew. The thick, extruded blobs of paint make you wonder what it would feel like to the touch. The interesting colour and texture combinations that you wouldn't think would work well together but somehow do.

As the quote (right) illustrates, traditionally, the use of glue by a jeweller would devalue the worth of any piece of jewellery or is a "total taboo". Lisa Walker, however, often uses glue and she doesn't try to hide it. The glue is often visible to the eye as in the necklace made with mussel shells pictured above. Sometimes the glue itself is a primary material that the piece is made of, as in the necklace pictured on the next page with the yellow thread, freshwater pearls and glue.

Lisa Walker, Pendant, 2009. Rubber inner sole, paint, fresh water pearls, fabric, wool. Te Papa.

"Just because it’s jewellery it doesn’t mean we have to clam up and be well behaved."
- Lisa Walker