“Jewellery was still closely connected with magic and mythic conceptions which influenced and shaped the lives of the people. Fertility and hunting magic, amulets and talismans were used to express rank and prestige….”
This snippet of writing refers to jewellery dating from the third millennium BC, housed in the historical section of the Schmuckmuseum in Pforzheim. It caught my attention because I love the idea of jewellery being magical; possessing supernatural and mysterious powers. A piece of jewellery can have a myriad of stories attached to it (real and imaginary….) – it is a way of connecting to the body, to others and to the supernatural.
Take for example, a 17th century ‘momento mori’ ring on display.
White hair is beautifully woven around a tiny enamel skeleton figure, enclosed by rock crystal and set in a golden ring. Who owned the ring? To whom is the ring a memorial? How did they die? Old age, the plague, murder?
The only limit is your imagination.
The only limit is your imagination.
V.
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