On a family trip to the Veneto region of Italy a few years ago we visited the Palladian city of Vicenza. It was January so a little on the chilly side, but the perfectly proportioned splendour of this gorgeous place warmed the heart.

I have to admit that I was unaware of the jewellery museum (the first of its kind in Italy it claims), so when I chanced upon Il Museo Del Gioiello whilst wondering around the Palladian Basilica I was delighted.

The museum was warm and welcoming and being somewhat ‘off season’ I had the whole place to myself, adding to the special experience. I was introduced to many makers that were new to me and found a few that were familiar - including a lovely piece by Fritz Maierhofer who we met in Blog 6.
They have a permanent collection, some of which is on extended loan from private collections, and a temporary exhibition programme that as part of its schedule, does great work in introducing emerging makers from Italy and beyond. I heartily recommend a visit if you ever get the opportunity.

With a slight skip in my step after the delights of the collections and exhibition upstairs I came back down to the entrance area which also houses a small shop. This is where I came across the piece that is the subject of today’s post below. Somewhat unexpected perhaps, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek, this one always makes me smile - as it does most of the people who encounter me wearing it (apart from that is the rather suspicious security guard at the Japanese embassy in London who asked if it was real!)

Lego is a childhood throwback. I used to spend hours and hours building whatever came into my imagination as a young child (and if I am honest, a little further on into adolescence with a brilliant technical set, which I still have somewhere).

I am somewhat annoyed as I have mislaid the little card/box that the brooch came in and so I can’t link you to what I recall was a small Italian design studio that made them. There were other designs as well as the camera and all were made from up-cycled lego pieces. A great idea and a bit of fun…which I think you will agree, we all need more now than ever.

Links:
See hyperlinks above in bold text