Death Symbolism in Metal Jewelry Circuits of Consumption from Subculture to the High Street

Death symbolism has been an enduring visible theme in the material and visual culture of heavy metal and its various related genres for several decades. Musicians and fans frequently wear jewelry incorporating the same long-established visual references to death, particularly skulls and skeletal ima...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGlobal Metal Music and Culture pp. 227 - 242
Main Author Barratt, Claire
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 2016
Edition1
Subjects
High End Luxury
Black Sabbath
Metal Style
Metal Audience
Subcultural Style
Metal Magazines
UK Business
Subcultural Authenticity
Death Symbolism
Doom Metal
Death's Head
Jewelry Makers
UK Edition
Memento Mori
Price Spectrum
Great Frog
Vampire Bats
Skull Ring
Marc Almond
Word Of Mouth
Generic Skull
Mainstream Fashion
Jewelry Designs
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Summary:Death symbolism has been an enduring visible theme in the material and visual culture of heavy metal and its various related genres for several decades. Musicians and fans frequently wear jewelry incorporating the same long-established visual references to death, particularly skulls and skeletal imagery. This chapter explores how such items remain desirable and relevant within metal culture and questions what makes an item of skull jewelry 'metal' when similar items are also widely available in an increasing range of mainstream jewelry retailers or worn by people who do not fit the 'metalhead' image. Early metal musicians can be seen in contemporary photographs and film footage wearing jewelry that was available to them during that period. Several ranges of contemporary jewelry show a continuation of the previously cited biker examples in their use of symbols of death, particularly the skull.
ISBN:1138822388
9781138062597
9781138822382
1138062596
DOI:10.4324/9781315742816-17