After a lifetime of collecting art jewelry, Susan Beech’s collection reflects the distinctive personality of its owner. The Beech home is full of custom display cases, each showcasing an array of jewelry of various styles and functions. Together, they evoke 18th century Wunderkammern, or cabinets of curiosity.

Traditionally, a Wunderkammer housed objects that not only displayed wealth but also embodied humanist philosophies aimed at deepening our understanding of the world. These collections functioned as object-driven pedagogies, with treasures encased in glass and hidden within drawers.

Here, we have the rare opportunity to peer into the drawers of Beech’s own cabinet of curiosities. The Beech collection is sumptuous, luxuriant, but also playful and self-referential. Featuring nearly 100 works from the Susan Beech collection, Wunderkammer will bring visitors into the marvelous experience of her art jewelry.

Above image: Marta Mattsson, Cicada Brooch. Image courtesy Robert Diamante.