16/06/2022
Is this the ultimate power adornment?
The cuff is the perfect blend of empowering and sexy, and its story spans Ancient Egypt and 1970s New York, Wakanda and Wonder Woman. Cath Pound explores an iconic item of jewellery.
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The cuff is having a moment this year. Not only will Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman be storming back on to our screens in her legendary bracelets of submission but Elsa Peretti’s iconic Bone cuff, created at the height of the women’s liberation movement, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The style, which can be traced back thousands of years, has long had associations with power. First sported by the Ancient Egyptians and the Mayans, the cuff is a fashion item whose bold form has made it a highly visual indicator of status. Decorated in intricate symbols or patterns, it has also provided powerful links to a people’s spiritual and cultural identity. Unsurprisingly, since the early 20th Century it has been the wrist adornment of choice for stylish women who refuse to bow to convention.
