For most of the past decade, Kansas native Robert Hiller has been enriching The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s collection of contemporary jewelry. After receiving a bachelor’s degree of music in piano and a master’s degree in 1967 from the University of Kansas, Hiller moved to Stuttgart, Germany, to pursue a Fulbright Fellowship. He taught full-time for more than 50 years at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule. Hiller was already interested in historic jewelry when a landmark exhibition on the tiara at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2002 sparked Hiller’s enthusiasm. Inspired by the form, Hiller began to commission tiaras from contemporary jewelry designers.

This installation presents a selection of the works of art Hiller has given to the museum. The majority are unique commissions.

The works showcase a dazzling variety of materials and creative interpretations of traditional forms. All testify to the great love that Hiller has for contemporary tiaras and brooches—and his generous support of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Featured Image: (detail & full size) Marjorie Schick (American, 1941–2017). Crowns for the Monarchs of Day and Night, 2017. Wood, paint; Overall: 11 1/2 × 17 × 20 inches (29.21 × 43.18 × 50.8 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Gift of Robert A. Hiller, 2018.73.1,2

Caiyang Yin (Chinese, b. 1992). “Elements of Power” Tiara, 2022. Fine silver, sterling silver, and powder coating; Overall: 3 1/16 × 5 5/8 × 6 inches (78 × 142.88 × 152.4 mm.). Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Gift of Robert A. Hiller, 2022.18