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Featured cultural imprint: Tracing the BVLGARI Serpenti Serpenti Serpenti Serpenti Totem
Oct 7, 2022
The "Serpenti" totem is ever-changing, and has been closely related to human civilization since ancient times, spanning different eras and regions, becoming one of the most widely circulated ancient totems. From a strand of Medusa's hair in ancient Greek mythology, to the gold armband wrapped between Cleopatra's arms, from the serpentine jewelry boom that arose in the Victorian era to the birth of the first BVLGARI Serpenti serpenti jewelry, behind each totem is a cultural projection of an era.
The golden serpentine armband, 1st century BC, was worn by Cleopatra VII Philopator.
"Unpredictable: Cultural Symbolism of the Spirit Snake"
The spirit snake in nature snakes and winds, its body is elegant and light, and it is reborn when it is molted off its scales, and the unique natural phenomenon also adds a bit of mystery to the spirit snake. Looking back at the myths and legends, religious beliefs and totem worship of ancient and modern times, the spirit snake has been given multiple cultural meanings, bringing people firm protection and spiritual strength.
For the ancient Greeks, the spirit snake was regarded as a symbol of healing and resurrection. Asclepius, the god of medicine in ancient Greek mythology, is the classic image of holding a snake staff, it is said that Asclepius once killed a snake with a magic staff when practicing medicine, at this time, another snake appeared, and the mouth of the herb brought it back to life, Asclepius had an epiphany, and the snake staff became its signature magic weapon.
Ancient Egyptian civilization believes that the snake represents loyalty and divinity, in ancient Egyptian mythology, the original snake god Nehebkau is the attendant of the highest Egyptian god Sun God "Ra", and in the classic image of his falcon's head, a holy snake coiled around the sun can be seen on the top of his head, and it is said that this snake has the power to control the soul and is the snake god who guards the entrance to the underworld.
There is also no shortage of worship of the spirit snake in the eastern countries - "Fuxi scaled body, Nüwa snake body", in ancient Chinese mythology, the first ancestor of humanities "Fuxi", the creation goddess "Nüwa" is the god of the half-snake, it is said that this image originated from the worship of the snake totem by the tribes of southern China, containing the mysterious power of reproduction and life.
In Hindu culture, the serpent symbolizes death and new birth. Shesha, the first serpent born in Hindu mythology, was an important retinue of one of the three main gods, Vishnu, and legend has it that Shesha has a thousand serpent heads and dominates all the stars in the universe, and the body of a thousand serpents floats in the universe and constantly chants the song of Vishnu.
"Magic Hands: The Transformation of the Spirit Snake Through Art History"
As a symbol of seduction, rebirth and transformation, the Spirit Snake Totem has been endlessly alive in Eastern and Western cultures and has become an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists. The snake's body is winding, its head and tail are agile, and its eyes are twinkling – the spirit snake is transformed into a variety of thematic elements in sculpture, painting and fashion works, occupying a place in the long history of art.
In the sculpture works of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, mythological themes are particularly common, and the story of Hercules fighting with the snake in ancient Greek mythology is one of the classic sculpture themes, winding the snake in the "Hercules" fist suspended in the air, the surface is hand-polished, presenting a three-dimensional and round silhouette, making the whole scene come to life.
There is no shortage of beautiful figures of the spirit snake in Western painting - the snake-haired woman Medusa created by Peter Paul Rubens, a representative of the Baroque school in the early 17th century, the self-portrait of the spirit snake painted by the French Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin in 1889, and the German symbolist painter Franz von Stuck in the early 20th century The enchanted snakes that entwined the human body have become unique classics.
The spirit snake is also an important image that inspired the costume designer, and in the Italian opera "Turandot", which premiered in 1926, the gorgeous costumes made the charm of the spirit snake fully displayed, and the stage lighting showed amazing beautiful colors and elegant textures.
As early as the Xia Shang period, people used bronze to interpret the image of the feathered bronze snake, the whole work is made of segmented casting, the spirit snake is leisurely, the snake's tail is naturally curled, the snake's back is decorated with delicate scales and diamond-shaped lines, and the top and back ridge are also engraved with knife-shaped feather wings, which is said to imply that it has the ability to fly.
"The Immortal Classics: The Evolution of Bvlgari Serpenti"
The "Spirit Snake" is an ancient symbol full of aesthetic power and one of the most deeply rooted symbolic elements of BVLGARI Bulgari.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti bracelet watch, created in 1957, is now in a private collection.
At the end of the 1940s, the snake totem first appeared in the Bulgari Serpenti series of watch works, the designer used the unique Tubogas process, or the gold mesh wrapped around the wrist to create a bracelet, the case is designed as a teardrop, rectangle, octagonal and other geometric contours, in line with the end of the Second World War era gem setting gradually low-key aesthetic trend, The ingenious design quickly attracted a number of fans.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti Jewellery Watch, 1962, made of yellow gold, set with marquise, brilliant-cut diamonds and two emeralds in the eye section. The famous actor Elizabeth Taylor wore this watch when promoting the film "Cleopatra".
Since the mid-1950s, Bulgari has tried to interpret the theme of the spirit snake in a more symbolic and gorgeous style—the snake scales articulated with gold beads, the freely open snake head dial, the half-spit fork-shaped snake letter, the gold scales that are independently glazed, and the eyes illuminated by precious gemstones give the spirit snake abundant vitality, presenting a seductive authentic style.
BVLGARI Bulgari Mediterranean Eden white gold necklace featuring a cushion-cut sapphire at the serpent's head and 2 pear-cut rubies at the eye of the snake, accentuated with diamonds, sapphires and rubies.
As the Serpenti collection flourished, the snake imagery was widely used in Bulgari's jewelry creations from the 1960s onwards, becoming one of the brand's most deeply rooted design elements. In the past few decades, you can see the expression of different ways such as minimalist design, modern style, realistic depiction, etc., focusing on the interpretation of beautiful snake scales and gorgeous snake heads, and constantly broadening the boundaries of the spirit snake image over the years.
"Timeless Charm: Dancing with the Enchanted Spirit Snake"
In the more than 70 years since the birth of Serppi, the image of the spirit snake has been constantly transformed and innovated, showing the unpredictable multi-faceted charm, decorating the neck and wrist, giving people a wonderful experience of dancing with the charm of the spirit snake.
From the glittering bracelet of the diamond necklace to the delicate silk-satin luster of the gold belt, from the polished snake shadow of the Serpenti Seduttori watch to the beautiful ornamentation of the Serpenti Spiga watch, the snake imagery skillfully blends artistic temperament and stylized elements to reflect the unrestrained and unrestrained brand spirit of Bulgari.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti gold belt chain
The image of the spirit snake spitting out letters is vividly interpreted in this gold belt chain, just like the snake's body snaking and flowing around the waist, full of uninhibited strength. The gold snake scales are engraved with geometric hexagonal engravings, showing a three-dimensional sense of natural undulations, and the surface is hand-polished for the silky texture of the snake satin fabric; The sleek eyes are set with 2 pear-shaped diamonds that reflect the dazzling fire and metallic luster.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti Fine Jewellery Collection Necklace
Now in a private collection, this Serpenti necklace gives a new interpretation to the ancient Spirit Snake totem through realistic art - hollowed gold snake scales, brilliant diamonds collide with new sparks, making the gorgeous and sparkling Spirit Snake image in front of you, and the magnificent ruby set deep eyes contain a breathtaking charm.
BVLGARI Serpenti Seduttori polished snake shadow watch
When the shadow of the polished snake is projected on the watch world, the three-dimensional snake head transforms into a teardrop-shaped case, containing deep wisdom and unique personality, and the crown is embellished with a curved sapphire, full of freedom and agility. The bracelet is composed of hexagonal links, imitating the delicate texture of snake scales, like a snake winding its way, releasing a new sensory experience.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti Viper necklaces
The metamorphosis of the serpent image is evident in the "Serpenti Viper" series, making the classic totem more abstract and modern. The designer adopts a flexible modular structure, so that each piece of snake scale is tight and gapless, staggered, and the shape of the head and tail is unique. Brilliant diamonds breathe life into the wearer, with slender silhouettes becoming the finishing touches of everyday wear.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti Spiga watch
When the delicate snake body is wrapped around the wrist, thousands of styles bloom in an instant. The Serpenti Spiga watch gives the bracelet a delicate Matelasse pattern and incorporates a modular construction concept, the bracelet-style bracelet is flexible and flexible to wear, and the teardrop-shaped snakehead dial complements the winding bracelet to give the snake image a new look.
BVLGARI Bulgari Serpenti Viper necklaces
The gorgeous snake scales shine brightly, the smooth lines flow naturally along the contours of the neck, and the snake's head and tail naturally connect, like a spirit snake leaning on the body and dancing, showing a dazzling style and elegant charm. The Serpenti Viper collection uses a refined design language to give the serpent image a pure and elegant timeless charm.
"Infinite Inspiration: Spirit Snakes Nurture Whimsical Creativity"
Since 2022, BVLGARI has held a limited-time art exhibition "Spirit Snake Fantasy" in Shenyang, Beijing, Shenzhen and Xiamen, inviting Chinese contemporary artists and architects from the fields of video, sculpture, installation, artificial intelligence and other fields to create works to reinterpret the unique charm of the spirit snake image in a pioneering art form.
Bulgari will present more new surprises in 2023, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Serpenti collection, infusing Serpenti with a continuous stream of life with more artistic expression, embracing and celebrating the Serpent Totem as a source of inspiration.
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