Emma Cunningham | Messenger Bird Necklace

Materials
Vintage silverware
Freshwater baroque pearls
Silk thread

Measurements
The bird is 15.5cm wide x 11cm high
The pearls are 26cm long from the clasp to the bird

Care
This piece is made from vintage silverware and freshwater pearls, so it needs a gentle hand. Put it on last, after perfume, lotions and hairspray, and take it off before swimming, bathing or exercising.

To clean the silver, buff it lightly with a soft silver polishing cloth, keeping it away from the pearls. Avoid silver dips, liquid cleaners and ultrasonic cleaners, as these can dull or damage both the pearls and the vintage metal. After each wear, wipe the pearls with a soft, dry cloth to remove skin oils.

Store the necklace flat in a soft pouch or lined box, away from other jewellery that could scratch the pearls. Avoid airtight bags, as pearls need a little air to keep their lustre. Over time the silver will develop a soft patina, which is part of its antique character.

In a rural valley on the outskirts of Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand, Emma Cunningham lives and works alongside her husband Matt Higgs, who runs the sand casting department, their family, and the wildlife that surrounds them.

Emma has been making art for as long as she can remember. Since graduating from art school in the mid-1990s she has exhibited regularly, and in 2014 she began working full-time on her art and jewellery practice. These days, jewellery is her focus.

Most of her pieces are made from vintage silverware and sand cast bronze. She works with recycled and natural materials and is interested in the meaning each material carries. Each finished piece keeps the traces of how it was made: hammer marks, the way its elements are bound together, signs of the maker’s hand. Nothing is polished away.

Her work draws on the natural world and is concerned with protecting it. It celebrates that beauty while serving as a quiet reminder of what we stand to lose if we don’t look after it. Birds and winged creatures appear throughout as signposts, guardians and messengers. They travel the space between worlds, carrying ancient myth and folklore into the present day.

No two of Emma’s pieces are alike, and each one has its own story to tell.