Sophie Taeuber-Arp

Untitled, ca. 1926
knitted and beaded reticule

“The true urge to decorate shall not be eradicated, for it is deeply and primally rooted in humanity.” Honoring this deep desire, Sophie Taeuber-Arp created a number of unique beaded works in the 1920s, often with the assistance of her students. In place of the floral and ornamental imagery that had been dominant up to that time, Taeuber-Arp produced a surprising world of intricate, geometric-figurative motifs. Most of her necklaces, bracelets, and this painstakingly knitted reticule – a small handbag – were intended to be sold and served as an additional source of income during the interwar years.