Human adornment is a deeply ingrained element of human culture that long predates what many commonly think of as “art”. Evidence suggests that the impulse to self decorate and embellish appeared thousands of years before other artistic expressions, such as figurative cave paintings. This offers insight to the developmental role of human adornment on human psychology and social behavior. 

Early archaeological findings point to the use of materials like ochre pigments and shell beads for body decorations and ornamentation dating back over 160,000. These ancient forms of adornment indicate a sophisticated understanding of symbolic expression, modifying one’s appearance for social signaling, spiritual practices or individual identity. Like in the ornamentation done today, these practices embodied story and connection - to a people, place or self. The earliest confirmed examples of figurative art, which depict recognizable forms like animals or humans on cave walls, emerged around 32,000 years ago, centuries after humans had a relationship with materials used to adorn themselves.

This temporal gap suggests a compelling evolutionary trajectory: the cognitive ability to engage in self-decoration and expression developed earlier than the capacity or desire to create representational art. Adornment seems to have served as the foundational step in the development of abstract thought and symbolic communication, laying the foundation for more intricate artistic endeavors. The human mind was inclined to express itself with the body or on the body, with one's very self, before it was inclined to express itself externally. Only later did humans use art to create expressions about themselves and the world via external representations. This early focus on personal adornment highlights its fundamental role in the formation of human identity, social structures and the very origins of aesthetic appreciation.

Join us this Thursday to learn more about Ancient Adornment with Anastasia Matveeva. 4-6pm at Dillon Rose Studio. 

Enjoy wine from Ranch Acres, browse our collection and learn about ancient adornment.

Ruby, Opal and Diamond rings in 18K Yellow Gold.