Vintage 70s Articulated Figure Pendant Necklace • Modernist African Mask • Gold Tone • R.I. Bead & Comp
There's something quietly hypnotic about this piece. It moves.
Suspended from an 18" gold-plated curb chain, this articulated pendant depicts a stylized human figure with an elongated, oval mask-like face, raised arms forming a diamond arch overhead, two slender legs dangling freely below. The arms pivot where they meet the torso. The legs swing independently. Put it on and it comes alive with every step!
The design draws unmistakably from West African figural traditions, particularly the elongated oval faces and abstracted body forms seen in Baoulé and Fang sculpture, filtered through the modernist lens of 1970s American costume jewelry. It sits somewhere between brutalist statement piece and art object. The antiqued gold tone with deliberate dark oxidation in the recessed details gives it real visual depth and weight.
Stamped on the reverse: R.I. Bead & Comp™, a Rhode Island trade manufacturer working during the height of Providence's reign as the jewelry capital of the United States. This is not a mass-market import; it's a domestically produced, well-constructed piece from a serious manufacturing hub.
Deadstock condition and never worn. The articulated joints move freely and smoothly, the gold tone is clean and bright with intentional antiquing intact, and the chain is fully functional.
Pendant measures almost 3" in length.
A statement piece with genuine provenance, movement, and presence. Wearers of Miriam Haskell, Trifari, or brutalist modernist jewelry will feel right at home with this one.
✨If you would like to purchase a larger quantity than what is listed, please contact me before placing your order. I do have multiples of some items.✨
Vintage 70s Articulated Figure Pendant Necklace • Modernist African Mask • Gold Tone • R.I. Bead & Comp
There's something quietly hypnotic about this piece. It moves.
Suspended from an 18" gold-plated curb chain, this articulated pendant depicts a stylized human figure with an elongated, oval mask-like face, raised arms forming a diamond arch overhead, two slender legs dangling freely below. The arms pivot where they meet the torso. The legs swing independently. Put it on and it comes alive with every step!
The design draws unmistakably from West African figural traditions, particularly the elongated oval faces and abstracted body forms seen in Baoulé and Fang sculpture, filtered through the modernist lens of 1970s American costume jewelry. It sits somewhere between brutalist statement piece and art object. The antiqued gold tone with deliberate dark oxidation in the recessed details gives it real visual depth and weight.
Stamped on the reverse: R.I. Bead & Comp™, a Rhode Island trade manufacturer working during the height of Providence's reign as the jewelry capital of the United States. This is not a mass-market import; it's a domestically produced, well-constructed piece from a serious manufacturing hub.
Deadstock condition and never worn. The articulated joints move freely and smoothly, the gold tone is clean and bright with intentional antiquing intact, and the chain is fully functional.
Pendant measures almost 3" in length.
A statement piece with genuine provenance, movement, and presence. Wearers of Miriam Haskell, Trifari, or brutalist modernist jewelry will feel right at home with this one.
✨If you would like to purchase a larger quantity than what is listed, please contact me before placing your order. I do have multiples of some items.✨
