Female Jaw-Piece, Shaun Leane

Cast and silver-plated aluminum, with broken and missing teeth, attached to the face with curved metal ear-loops and hooks, width 4 ¾ inches.

Savage Beauty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 4 May - 7 August 2011 and Victoria & Albert Museum, 14 March - August 2, 2015.

‘When creating these pieces, I cast them from human jaw bones. I found it interesting to study them - discovering the slight differences between the male and female forms. I could not help but imagine the life and history of the people they had belonged to. I felt honored to participate in continuing their stories.’ S.L.

Created for Alexander McQueen's 'Untitled' Collection, Spring/Summer 1998.