Serpent Jewelry
Eternal Temptation or Tempted Eternity
Snake is one of the oldest and culturally diverse animal symbols in history. Before becoming the culprit behind Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the snake was the object of worship in many ancient civilizations and beliefs. In Egypt, serpent was the guardian and divine incarnation of the Pharaoh. In Greek and Roman mythology, the habit of snakes shedding regularly becomes the embodiment of rebirth. Although the venom of snakes is deadly, it can also be used for treatment. Therefore, the snakes were also associated with the god of medicine. As the serpent belief in Hinduism, the Feathered Serpent was commonly believed by ancient Mayans. People at different times and places have given this beautiful and mysterious creeping creature a variety of rich imaginations. For a long time, our imagination for snakes wandered between awe, good and evil, cunning, life and death, entangled and inextricable. The charm of snakes is so complex and unique.
In addition to its interesting image, the slender body of snakes and winding posture also make it an ideal theme for jewelry art. In Egyptian and Greek worlds before BC, the appearance of golden serpent rings, armlets and bracelets were already seen. Apart from decoration, there might also be some positive association with snakes to wear them as amulets. Even though the popularity of Christianity has declined, the concept of snake jewelry was still widely passed down, quietly crouching in time, and finally was reborn grandly in the Victorian era in the 18th and 19th century.
European jewelry in the 18th and 19th is popular for its romantic sensibility, symbolism and allegorical meanings. The most well-known serpent-shaped jewelry of this period is the wedding ring of Queen Victoria of Great Britain (reigned 1837-1901). This ring, featuring the Queen's birthstone, emerald, is believed to have been designed by Prince Albert (Albert, Prince Consort, reigned 1840-1861) himself, expressing their unswerving love. Its ring shape, in which the snake’s head and tail are met after one turn, has existed for a long time, and can be traced back to the traditional image of ouroboros1. In the 19th century, another jewelry trend related to snakes originated from the enthusiasm of excavation activities at archaeological sites at that time. Ancient jewelry was rediscovered. The love for ancient times gave birth to archaeological jewelry inspired by it. The ancient golden snake climbed up again and became popular nowadays.
Mary Neville, Lady Dacre and Gregory Fiennes, 10th Baron Dacre Mother and Child Portrait (detail), Hans Eworth, 1559, National Portrait Gallery.
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Amalie Ludovika Gräfin von Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (detail), Joseph Karl Stieler, 1825, private collection.
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Julia Telyakovskaya, née Portrait of Kanshina (detail), Gavriil Yakovlev, 1848, in the collection of The State Hermitage Museum..png)
The Sorceress (Partial), Georges Merle, 1883, Birmingham Art Gallery, UK. Jewelry artists in the Art Nouveau movement at the turn of the century were more concerned with expressive tension of forms rather than symbolism. The style was very strong with vividly enchanting curves and gorgeous colors, sometimes almost grotesque but bizarrely beautiful. After entering the 20th century, snake-shaped jewelry was still quite popular, and Bvlgari launched the Serpenti series in the 1940s, which became the brand's classic image. It was covered with enamel and geometric scales of gems, which became unforgettable in the minds of many women, the seductive snake shadow.
Former editor of Vogue magazine, the late fashion guru Diana Vreeland (1903-1989) once said, "Don’t forget the serpent... it should be on every finger and all wrists and all everywhere... The serpent is the motif of the hours in jewelry... we cannot see enough of them.2" This comment still applies today. Serpent-shaped jewelry is an eternal temptation, and even tempted eternity. We enjoy it, inseparably tamed each other and always look forward to the next transformation.
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1 Ouroboros, presented in the form of a snake swallowing its tail, making itself an infinite loop, a symbol of eternity. In jewelry art, in addition to representing eternal love, it is also often combined with Mourning Jewelry for death commemoration to express endless grief.
2 Quoted from《 Diana Vreeland After Diana Vreeland》, September 16, 1968, Diana Vreeland's memo "Don't forget the 2 serpent... it should be on every finger and all wrists and all everywhere... the serpent is the motif of the hours in jewellery... we cannot see enough of them.”