I am proud to call Vicky Chignall a friend. A remarkable woman of great talent, passion and commitment, Vicky arrived in Kenya in 1972 with no intention of staying. Many years later, with a marriage, the loss of her husband and a life of integrity and real beauty, Vicky is still in Nairobi, living in a charming house with a gorgeous garden that contains her workshop. The workshop finds its roots in the years she lived in Kenya’s Maasai Mara where her husband ran balloon trips and where she spent time with the Maasai women.
And made jewelry.
Over time, Vicky has created an important business with her jewelry creations that are housed in a cottage on the property.
On a recent tea time visit to her lovely house, I asked to see what was new in her portfolio. Gorgeous things.. a glam collection, a return to classics that I recognized from 20 years ago and, behind a door, hanging on a nail stud, some old treasures “to be used, one day.”
There was a kipande.
I have a couple of them. They are rare now but, more importantly, they carry the ghost of a mature man and his history.
In Kenya, under British rule the kipande was an identity document which featured basic personal details, fingerprints, and an employment history. The Native Registration Amendment Ordinance of 1920 made carrying a kipande compulsory for African males above the age of 15. The effect of its adoption was to radically restrict the mobility of Africans. The main intent of the policy, supposedly, was to keep track of the labor pool efficiently. Kipande was a despised reminder of foreign occupation as all African males were required to wear it at all times around their necks.
Knowing Vicky, when and if she decides to incorporate her kipande in a jewelry design, it will retain its integrity and its dignity as a symbolic stepping stone of the Kenyan people’s process towards true independence.
An important reminder with elections upcoming.
A must see at the Museum of Art and Design (always a fascinating stop in Manhattan for a culture monger) is the recently opened exhibition of over 450 pieces of costume jewelry that belong to Barbara Berger. The scope of the collection is fantastic, both in number and in diversity. The wow pieces - all in perfect condition - come from haute couture designers, contemporary Belgian, Dutch and American jewelers, and the classic houses we know well like Trifari, Haskell and Coro. They are all fabulous fakes but, in many instances, while they are all fabulous, you can often not even tell that they are fakes.
I have loved costume jewelry for decades now and have been collecting signed and unsigned pieces since I first lighted on a small Haskell pin at a vintage show. Since then my weekends have often included trawling through outdoor markets and, as I became more knowledgeable and more focussed, I developed relationships with dealers who would call me when something I was looking for came on the market. It was so much fun.
But my collection looks like Woolworth's Best compared to Barbara Berger's beauties. Some of my favorites are above and they come from St. Laurent, Gripoix, Haskell, Coro. Here are more from Coppola & Toppo and Schreiner.
There is much, much more and while many of those are smaller in size or less "serious" in style, they are all the best of their type. If you like jewelry, real or fake, this show is a must.
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