Skip to main content
Classic Hanging Cherries Design

Classic Hanging Cherries Design

1929-1948

Scroll

Classic Hanging Cherries Design

1929-1948

Physical Qualities Bakelite, Necklace open: 3 1/2 x 19 1/4 x 5/8 in. (8.9 x 48.9 x 1.6 cm) Necklace closed: 11 x 8 3/8 x 5/8 in. (27.9 x 21.3 x 1.6 cm) Earrings: 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 5/8 in. (7 x 5.7 x 1.6 cm)
Credit Line Gift of Barbara Katz, Baltimore
Object Number 2022.79
PLASTIC  These objects made of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic, are lightweight yet durable. Invented in 1907, Bakelite was used in radios, clocks, machinery, household goods, and jewelry by the 1930s. Made in both factories and family-owned workshops, the material was popular during the Great Depression (1929–1939) as an alternative to costly metals and gems. Both department store shoppers and international celebrities, such as Josephine Baker, sought out its varied finishes. On April 28, 1941, Life magazine published a photo of a woman wearing a heart-shaped Bakelite pin with key dubbed the “MacArthur Heart.” This reference to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and the Purple Heart medal became an emblem of female patriotism during the industrious war-time period. 
American Modernism Reinstallation

American Wing Rotations 2022

American Wing Rotations 2023

American Wing Rotations 2024

American Wing Rotations 2025

Explore the Collection Further

DECORATIVE ARTS
Alphonse Adolphe Gery-Bichard and Luc Olivier Merson
The Priest Hanging from a Gargoyle
19th century
Shoowa and Unidentified
Prestige Cloth with Interlock Design
1899–1939
Kuba, Shoowa, and others
Prestige Cloth with Thick Pile and "Double Knot" Design
1949–1968
Kuba, Shoowa, and others
Prestige Cloth with Thick Pile and "Jagged Blocks" Design
1958–1986
Kuba
Woman's Scalloped Border Pile and Pierced Design Overskirt
1914–1929
Bamileke, Bamum, and others
Tunic with Leopard Design
1925–1949
Kuba and Unidentified
Dance Skirt with Block Design
1919–1949
Round Box with Incised Linear Design
101–220
Round Box with Incised Linear Design
101–220
Layered Translucent Red and Yellow Strawberry Design
1929–1945
Key and Heart Design
1939–1948
Jingdezhen kilns
Bowl with Carved Flower Design with Combed Details and Unglazed Rim
1100–1299