The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Earring

c. 1955–60

Arthur George (Art) Smith,

(American, 1917–1982)
America
sterling silver
11.4 x 7 cm (4 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.)
Museum purchase from various donors by exchange 2019.37.b
© The Estate of Art Smith
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Art Smith’s technical skill and creative spirit trumpeted the expressive shapes and handcrafted look popular in jewelry design during the 1950s and ’60s.

Description

Suspended loops hanging like mobiles form this pair of earrings by Art Smith, one of the most innovative artisan jewelers working in the 1950s and 1960s. His bold, expressive forms echo the taste for biomorphic design prevalent during this era. Smith’s work gained favor among the bohemian aesthetes of Greenwich Village in New York City, where his studio was located, as well as the uptown dandies eager to achieve a fashionable, artistic look.
  • ?-2019
    330 Gallery, Hudson, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2019-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Earring|url=false|author=Arthur George (Art) Smith,|year=c. 1955–60|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.37.b