Copley, Noma

Noma Copley (born Norma Rathner, July 31, 1916 – February 22, 2006) was an American fine arts jeweler and art collector noted for her contributions to Surrealist practices and activities. From 1953 through 1968, she was married to William Copley and, with him, helped to acquire one of the largest collections of Surrealist paintings and sculpture in America. In 1954, they established the William and Noma Copley Foundation (subsequently renamed the Cassandra Foundation), a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the creative arts.

After her divorce, Copley studied goldsmithing, and began a 25-year career as a fine arts jeweler. Characterized as “a surrealist for whom the displacement of the object is most important,” she was best known for works that represented ordinary objects such as zippers, buttons and pins and pencils that she cast in gold, as well incorporating the ancient art of granulation into contemporary works.