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https://www.wsj.com/articles/bling-through-the-ages-1541079259 Plastic Wall Clock

Even at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, home to countless blockbuster exhibitions, six curators for one show might seem a bit extravagant. But then, “Jewelry: The Body Transformed” is an extravagant show. Opening Nov. 12, the exhibition draws on all 17 of the Met’s curatorial departments to present a cross-cultural conversation about bling through the ages—its meanings, uses and effects on the human body and spirit.

“This is what a great encyclopedic collection can do—make it big and global, across time and space,” said Melanie Holcomb, a curator of medieval art at the Met and the show’s lead curator. The roughly 230 objects on view are drawn almost exclusively from the museum’s holdings, which include some 8,000 pieces of jewelry. Along with the adornments themselves, a selection of sculptures, paintings, prints and photographs celebrates jewelry on the human body, from a dancing deity made in 12th-century India to Josephine Baker, doyenne of 1920s Paris nightlife.

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Alarm Clock This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.