The two rings I designed are dedicated to the theme of Styria and the traditional “Klapotetz.” The special thing about the rings is that together, they make music. One ring looks like a small cog wheel, while the other is made out of steel resonating strips from an accordion. The cog-wheel ring is for the ring finger and the other ring for the middle finger. When one wears both rings on one hand, the movement of the cog wheel against the steel strips can produce a tone. The rings can also be worn separately, of course. I made both pieces of jewelry out of silver, using various silversmithing techniques.

For me, it was important to combine my roots in the province of Styria with my great passion for music. Music plays an important role in my life. The “Klapotetz,” a noisemaking wind-wheel perched on a high wooden pole used to scare birds away from vineyards, is typical for Southern Styria, where I live. I have an equally deep connection to music, and since the “Klapotetz” makes a kind of music with its clapping sound, it influenced this work.

When you wear these rings, you not only have a unique piece of jewelry; you also have a “musical instrument” with you all the time. This is why I chose the title “Musik zum Mitnehmen” (Music to Take with You).

Magdalena Schiesser (b. 2002) attended primary school in the Styrian town of Wildon and then spent four years at BG/BRG Klusemann. In her final year at that school, her grandfather enrolled her in a silversmithing class, where she discovered that she enjoyed making silver jewelry and also had a talent for it. Since 2016 she has attended HTBLVA Ortweinschule in Graz (Jewelry and Metal Design). She will graduate next year.